


Watching from the Distance

by okay_klepto



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, But cannons stopped being used by WWI, Fluff, Happy Ending, I really tried to follow canon, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Non-canon character added for plot development, Pining Tanaka, it's the fastest slow-burn you'll ever read
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 02:44:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9155209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okay_klepto/pseuds/okay_klepto
Summary: Tanaka's life was quiet and simple until Ennoshita Chikara showed up as the new kid at school and rocked the boat.  It's love at first sight for Tanaka, but not so much for Ennoshita.  Even though Nishinoya is there to get Tanaka going, the closest Tanaka can get to being in a relationship with Ennoshita is just watching from the distance





	1. The New Kid

      Tanaka leaned back in his chair, concentrating on attempting to balance his pencil on the tip of his nose.  He had clocked out of the grammar lesson long ago and was instead thinking more about volleyball practice and what he should have for lunch.  Nothing exciting had happened in Tanaka’s life recently, and this lack of activity had him losing focus more often.  He sat back up and stared at the lines of notes he had taken earlier.  Tanaka flipped to the next page in his notebook and began to doodle mindlessly.  A few lines here, a circle there.  Shapes resembling animals began to take form and Tanaka focused more thoroughly on what he was drawing.  He noticed that the cute girl sitting next to him had taken some interest as to what was being sketched on his paper, and Tanaka lifted his arm so she could have a better view.  Their eyes met for a split second and Tanaka flashed a flirtatious smile.  Giggling, the girl went back to focusing on the lecture.  Tanaka tapped his pencil a few times and stared out the window, this time thinking about what Nishinoya might be doing, trying to remember what class he had.

      Just as Tanaka was about to get completely sucked into focusing on the outside world he heard his name being said.

      “... Tanaka’s is empty, why don’t you sit there?”

      Tanaka’s ears pricked up just in time to hear the instruction the teacher had given to a student entering the class.  He waved his hand a bit to signal the student as to where the open seat was.  It wasn't often new students came into his class, and Tanaka crossed his fingers he would get to sit behind a pretty girl now.  Instead, he saw a boy walk between the row of desk and sit gracefully in front of him.  He was of average height and build, just a little shorter than Tanaka.  He had dark, thick hair that looked soft and smooth.  His eyes had a calm, sleepy look and the mystery boy gave off an overall relaxed essence.  Tanaka could feel some heat go to his cheeks

_       Dammit,  _ he thought.   _ Of course the ONE time I should have been paying attention I wasn’t.  Just what’s this kid’s name? _

      Tanaka squirmed around in his seat, trying to see over the new boy’s shoulder, maybe catching a glance of his name on a paper.

      “Tanaka!  Sit still or you’ll stand for the rest of class!”

      The class giggled and Tanaka’s face turned even redder as he heard the teacher’s words.  He sank back in his seat and picked up his pencil, noticing that the boy in front of him had also giggled at his scolding.  That made Tanaka smile.

      The bell rang and the class began to collect their belongings and exit the classroom.  Tanaka stood and shuffled his papers together.  The new boy was already walking to the front of the classroom.

      “H-hey, I-” Tanaka spat out has he slid his hands, knocking a number of papers onto the floor.  He quickly gathered them up, shoving them into his book bag as he watched the mysterious boy walk out the door and into the hallway.  Tanaka hurriedly picked up his bags and rushed to the door, only to be stopped by the teacher to be given a final scolding about not paying attention in class.  He listened to the speech he had heard probably a thousand times and entered the hallway, looking left and right through the crowd of students.  

      The boy had disappeared.

* * *

 

      “Nishinoya, there’s a new kid in my literature class,” Tanaka said as he and Nishinoya milled about before practice.  “He sits right in front of me.”

      “Oh nice!  I feel like it’s been awhile since we got a new kid in our grade,” Nishinoya commented as he finished tying his shoes.  “Hey, where’s Daichi?  Shouldn’t practice have started by now?”

      The two of them looked around the gymnasium at all their other teammates, noticing that both Daichi and Sugawara were missing.

      “I don’t know, Nishinoya.  Maybe they’re talking to a teacher of something.  But this kid, dude, he had amazing hair.  It looked so thick and velvety… And he sat with such poise….”  Tanaka’s words slowed down as he spoke, his voice becoming more sweet and his eyes more and more distant.

      “What, do you have a crush on this kid?  You only just met him.”

      Tanaka whipped his head around to look directly at Nishinoya.

      “I do not!” Tanaka snapped, his cheeks gaining redness as he spoke.  “Besides, I don’t even know his name.”

      “Like that’s ever stopped you.”

      “What?!  I zoned out when his name was announced and he rushed out of the classroom after the bell rang.  I couldn’t see any his name of any of his papers either.”

      “Why didn’t you just properly introduce yourself when he sat down?  Or were you too shy?”  Nishinoya gave Tanaka a menacing smile.  Before Tanaka could respond, Daichi’s voice rang out through the gymnasium.

      “Alright team, huddle up!  I have a special announcement!”

      The volleyball team stopped their pre-practice activities and walked over to where Daichi and Sugawara were standing.  Tanaka continued glaring at Nishinoya as the two made their way to the rest of the group.  Tanaka only looked up after he had made it to the group - and he froze at the sight in front of him.

      “This is Ennoshita Chikara,” Daichi said with a big smile, clamping a hand down on Ennoshita’s shoulder.  “He’s a second year and just started going to our school.  He played volleyball for his old high school, so he’s going to play with us now.”

      “Ennoshita, what position did you play at your old school?” Sugawara asked.

      “Uh, I was a wing spiker.”

      “Hey, just like you, Tanaka,” Nishinoya commented to Tanaka, giving him a slight bump to the ribs.  Nishinoya looked up at Tanaka with a smile, which soon went away once he noticed that Tanaka had gone white as a sheet.  “Hey, what’s up?”

      “T-that’s him.”

      “What?”

      “That’s him!  The guy I was telling you about!  The one who sits in front of me.”

      Nishinoya looked back to Ennoshita, who looked slightly uncomfortable as Daichi still gripped his shoulder and continued to talk in front of the team with a huge smile plastered across his face.

      “Dude, your crush is on the team!”

      “Shut up, Nishinoya!”

      Daichi noticed the slight commotion between the two.  “Are you two listening?  Quit being so disruptive.  Well, let’s start practice.”

      The team began their practice of drills and games, all the while Nishinoya kept an eye on Tanaka and Daichi kept an eye on the both of them.  Tanaka kept one eye, sometimes two, on Ennoshita.

* * *

 

      Tanaka stood in the back row of players as their mock game started.  In front of him and to the right was Ennoshita.  Tanaka's mind began to wander from the game at hand to the player standing in front of him.

_       His hair still looks perfect even after practicing for this long… He's been playing pretty well too… His jumps aren't half bad… I guess those legs help him out… Damn his legs are long… And they're shaped nicely too… His skin looks soft and creamy… And he has a nice, round- _

      “Tanaka!  Watch out!”

      Tanaka's thoughts were suddenly cut short upon his name being called out.  He looked up just in time to see a volleyball moments before it struck him in the face.  He staggered back, the ball hitting the ground.

      “Tanaka! Are you okay?!”

      Sugawara came over to check on Tanaka.  Hinata also came over because of his keen knowledge of interactions between face and volleyball.

      “You're not bleeding, are you?” Sugawara said, worry lacing his words.

      “No blood, I'm fine.” Tanaka dabbed at his nose and lips to ensure no blood was oozing out.  He shook his head and look up, seeing Ennoshita turned around, a hint of worry in his big, doe eyes.  This warmed Tanaka's heart and cheeks.

      “What was going on out there, Tanaka?” Daichi asked.  Tanaka could tell that he wasn't happy with his performances thus far.

      “S-sorry, I guess I just… zoned out.”

      “Well, I can see that we are all getting tired.  Let's call it a night, boys.  Good work.”

      Nishinoya walked over to Tanaka, Asahi not far behind.

      “Good work out there, bud.”

      “Shut up, Nishinoya.”

      “I-is there something wrong?” Asahi asked, unsure if it was right to ask.

      “Tanaka has a HUGE crush on Ennoshita.  Like, bigger than any crush he's had on a girl.”

      “I do not!” Tanaka remarked, standing up a little taller.  “I just find him… interesting.

      “And I think  _ you're _ interested in  _ him _ .” Nishinoya wiggled his eyebrows and slipped on a sly smile.  “If you don't have a crush on him, go talk to him.”

      The three of them looked at Ennoshita standing across the gymnasium, digging through his gym bag.

      “If you're so confident around girls, why can't you be confident around him?  And you don't have to worry about making a complete fool out of yourself because you obviously don't have feelings for him.  It'll be easy.”

      “C'mon Nishinoya, I'm sure Ennoshita just wants to get home.  I-it's late and I don't want to waste his time.”

      “Yeah Nishinoya, we'd better head out too.”

      “Aw Asahi!  Don't you think it would be nice to watch Tanaka… Make a friend?”

      Asahi’s eyes darted around “Well…”

      “It will only be a minute, Tanaka.  Now is your chance!  See, he's about to leave.”

      Nishinoya pushed Tanaka closer to where Ennoshita was standing.  “You can do this.”

      Tanaka closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

_       If you can do this around a girl, you can do it around Ennoshita.  Just don't make a fortune out of yourself.  No foolishness.  Ooohhhh boy. _

      Tanaka marched towards Ennoshita.  Just as he was about to speak another voice rang out.  It was Sugawara.

      “Hey, good job out there Ennoshita!  It's great to have another member on the volleyball team.  I hope you stick with it.”

      “Oh, uh, thanks,” Ennoshita stammered out.  “I'll definitely try my best.”

      “As I hoped you would!” A smile spread across Sugawara’s face as he put an arm around Ennoshita.  He then noticed Tanaka standing behind them.

      “Oh, Tanaka!  I, uh, didn't see you there!  You and Ennoshita are in the same grade, yeah?  If Ennoshita has questions, you've got him right?”

      Tanaka looked around and desperately tried to compose himself before speaking.

      “Q-questions? Yeah, I've got you!  You can ask me anything!  I'll have an answer!  I know this school and club like the back of my hand!  Um, even stuff not related to that.  If you need flirting advice, I've got you!  I-I mean, if you need it.  I'm a flirting pro! B-but I'm not a player! No, I'll be loyal to you!  I-I mean, to anyone, not you.  W-well you too it's just that… I see it's… uh….”

      Tanaka had turned from white to pink to red in a matter of seconds.  Small beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his mouth had gone dry.  Both Sugawara and Ennoshita had confused, concerned looks on their faces.

       “Umm… thank you, Tanaka.  I'll keep all that in mind.”  Ennoshita gave Tanaka a small, pleasant smile, which made Tanaka's heart stop and speed up at the same time.  His head was an absolute mess.

      “I think you’d better get home, Tanaka.  I'll see Ennoshita out.”  Sugawara lead Ennoshita out the door, still have a concerning look on his face.

      “Was that from being hit by the volleyball? Are you sure he's going to be okay?”  Tanaka could just make out Ennoshita’s inquiry as he walked away.

      “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Sugawara said.  “He just needs some rest.”

      “If you say so...”

      Tanaka walked back to Nishinoya and Asahi, his face as red as the Nekoma uniforms.  Nishinoya was in tears trying, and failing, at holding back laughter.  Asahi had his lips pursed in attempts at holding in his own.

      “I hate you two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoyoyo it's Kelpto!
> 
> This is my first fic and I hope you enjoyed it. I have written some more so I'll add that later.
> 
> This is dedicated to both my friend Charlie (who encouraged me to start writing it) and my friend Kat (who let me talk about it non stop and put up with it. She also proofread so I hope it's not a mess).
> 
> Thnx for reading!


	2. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka continues with his endeavor to win Ennoshita's heart

    Tanaka got home, threw his bags on the floor, and went over to where his sister had set dinner on the table.

    “Rough day?”  She asked.  “You look a little down.”

    “Nah, today was okay.  Classes were boring and I got hit in the face at volleyball practice.  I guess it could have gone better…”

    “Well, have something to eat and work on your homework.  I'm sure you'll feel better after that.”

    “Yeah…”  Tanaka got out some of his homework and studied for a while before retreating to his bedroom to clear his head.  He noticed that he had gotten a text a few minutes earlier.  It was from Nishinoya.

N: _sooooo u hit it off with ennoshita (-‿◦)_

    Tanaka rolled his eyes.  Of course he would bring this up…

T: _You know damn well I didnt..._

N: _language!_

N: _gosh!_

N: _but he did notice u were there_

T: _Yeah, after Suga pointed me out_

N: _oh yeah i never thought Suga would be such a cockblock!_

T: _Hes not a cockblock bc Im not going for Ennoshitas cock!_

    Tanaka blushed and immediately regretted sending those words to Nishinoya

N: _hmmmmmm i think u r_

T: _Shut up_

N: _well u can always try hitting on him tomorrow_

T: _Im not hitting on him bc I dont have a crush on him_

N: _boi_

N:   _i love u_

N: _i want the best for u_

N: _but u have to come to the realization that u have a crush on this boy_

N:   _its obvious_

T: _I DO NOT_

N: _heres the thing_

N: _u do_

T: _UUUGGHHHHH_

    Tanaka stopped and thought about how he felt.  He was having emotions that he had never had towards and girls.  Those weren’t fake crushes, he knew they were very real, so why was this one so different?

T:   _How did you know you liked Asahi?_

N: _oh wow! that feels like a while ago…. hmm…._

T: _So?  Like, anything special?_

    It was a long time before Nishinoya responded.

N: _well i know that i couldnt stop thinking about him for a long time and i seemed to like everything about him, but whats there not to like  hes tall muscular and handsome   who wouldnt fantasize about those strong arms wrapped around u at night  i sure did  and i couldnt keep my eyes off of him prob bc hes gorgeous in every way and i knew he would TREAT ME RIGHT_

T: _Dang, I didn’t know you were so sappy_

N: _how can I not be sappy hes amazing_

T: _But did you get nervous around him ever?_

N: _i suppose sometimes i did but i got over it p easily_

N:   _he was the one who got nervous all the time probs bc he wasnt used to the attention_

N:   _i thought it was cute_

T: _But it didn’t always come naturally?_

N: _i suppose u could say that_

N:   _is it hard talking to Ennoshita?_

T: _Idk_

T:   _I just_

T:   _My brain turns to jelly and it feels like I’m speaking a foreign language_

N: _sounds like a crush_

T: _I knooooooow_

N: _i dont see why ur so concerned about this_

N:   _its not like this is ur first crush on a guy_

T: _I guess you’re right, but this one is different.  It feels…. like more_

   A few months earlier, Tanaka came to the realization that he was attracted to both girls and boys after developing feelings for one of his male classmates.  Of course, that relationship didn’t work out and after that, Tanaka went back to focusing more on girls.  That was until Ennoshita turned up.

N: _dang man maybe ur in looooove_

T: _I’m not in love!  Yeah, it’s a crush but I don’t love him._

N: _u say that now_

T: _Well do you love Asahi?_

   A few minutes passed before Nishinoya responded.

N: _idk… were only in high school  we have time_

T: _But you like him?_

N: _no i hate his guts_

N: _i wish he was dead_

N: _yeah i like him!  why do u think were dating?_

T: _Yeah…_

N: _say r u okay  u got hit in the face p hard_

T: _Oh?  Yeah, I’m fine now.  I was just a little shaken up._

N: _that would make sense  but are u sure ur doing ok  u didnt play too hot today_

T: _Yeah, I’m fine, I was just a little out of it_

N: _out of it?_

T: _Idk.  Distracted maybe?_

N: _distracted?_

T: _Yeah.  What?_

N: _it was ennoshita_

T: _WHAT? NO!_

N: _it was_

T: _WAS NOT_

N: _yup_

T: _NOPE_

N: _THATS WHY U DIDNT SEE THE BALL!_

N:   _WHY DIDN'T I THINK ABOUT THIS SOONER!_

N:   _U WERE STARING AT HIM!_

T: _I WAS NOT_

T: _well… not all the time..._

N: _OMG its worse than i thought!_

T: _What?!  You were going on about how Asahi looked with his muscular arms and manliness._

N: _that was all true_

N:   _hes basically a god_

T: _Ptttttf_

N: _well im not afraid to say it  what do u like about ennoshita_

T: _You sound like a girl at a slumber party_

N: _its who I truly am_

N:   _now come on_

N:   _spill it_

T: _Well…. He seems nice._

   Nishinoya didn’t respond for several minutes.

T: _You still there?_

N: _oh sorry i fell asleep because of how BORING THAT ANSWER WAS I WANT JUICY CONTENT_

T: _Okay gosh… I mean, he has nice hair_

N: _tanaka im yawning over here._

N:   _im not about to play 20 questions: ennoshitas attractive qualities addition_

T: _Fine.  He..._

N: _He…?_

T: _He has nice legs._

N: _ooooooooo thats what u were staring at!_

T: _Stop_

N: _oooo i can just picture what u were imagining_

N: _those long, strong legs..._

N: _theyre wrapped around ur waist…_

N: _then up on ur shoulders…_

N: _ur face between his soft and supple thighs…_

N:   _hes beneath you, looking like he just had a long practice…_

N: _red-_

N:   _panting-_

N: _sweating-_

N:   _please go gently~_

N:   _oooohhh ryūnosuke~_

T: _STOP THAT’S NOT WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT_

N: _but u are now (*⸰‿-)_

   That was not a lie.

T: _I hate you_

N: _just keep it in ur pants loverboy_

T: _Right back at ya_

N: _at least i know asahi wouldn't mind  ☆( >ω・) _

T: _OMG JUST STOP_

N: _hehehehe_

T: _I still hate you_

N: _good luck tomorrow!_

   Tanaka silenced his phone, plugged it in, and rolled over to fall asleep.  He tried his best to get Ennoshita out of his head, but despite his best effort, he kept seeing his face - somehow always going back to the scenario Nishinoya had briefly described.  Needless to say, Tanaka didn’t get much good sleep that night.

* * *

 

   Nishinoya walked up to Tanaka before class started.

   “Are you alright?  You look awful.”

   “Yeah, I’m fine, I just didn’t get much sleep.”

   “Thinking about Ennoshita?”

   “Shut up.”

   Nishinoya giggled as Tanaka’s face began to turn red.  “Wanna bagel?”

   “What?”

   “A bagel.”  Nishinoya reached into his backpack and pulled a bag of assorted bagels.

   “Why do you have bagels?”

   “I dunno.  Asahi likes them.  I’m going to give him one and I just bought a whole bunch.”

   Nishinoya took out two bagels, stuck one in his mouth and gave one to Tanaka.  They walked together, eating their bagels, in search of Asahi to deliver the bagel that was rightfully his.

   Tanaka reached his literature class, bagel half eaten, and sat down in his seat.  He was a little earlier than he usually was to class.  Much to Tanaka’s dismay, Ennoshita was nowhere to be seen.  Tanaka pulled out some of his paper and quickly finished the homework from the previous day.  Later, Tanaka looked up from his work and saw Ennoshita walk through the classroom door.  He was walking slowly, focused on typing something on his phone.  He took off his backpack and sat down in one swift movement, causing the scent of his hair to be wafted towards Tanaka, and damn did that boy smell nice

   “G-good morning,” Tanaka said, maybe a little too loud and forcefully.  Ennoshita turned around, slightly alarmed by the voice behind him

   “Oh, uh, good morning.”  Ennoshita gave Tanaka a smile before turning back around to face the front of the classroom.  Though it was short, that simple smile that Ennoshita probably gave everyone made Tanaka’s heart melt, and he reclined back in his chair, a goofy smile across his face.

   “You okay, dude?”  The boy leaning against the desk behind Tanaka peered down at his face.  Tanaka sat back up and returned to looking at the notes in front of him.  “I’m good.”

   The teacher walked in a few moments later and the class started.  It was the usual boring literature content, but this time Tanaka thought more about how he could interact with Ennoshita, sitting so perfectly in front of him.  As Tanaka took a few notes, he leaned forward to speak to Ennoshita.

   “Hey, could I, uh, have a piece of lead?  My pencil just ran out.”

   Ennoshita turned slightly to better hear Tanaka.  “Yeah, sure.”

   Ennoshita leaned down and drug around in one of the pockets of his backpack before returning with a bottle of lead rods.  He shook the bottle and pulled one long piece out.

   “There you go.”  He handed the piece of lead across his shoulder and back to Tanaka.

   “T-thanks man.”

   “No problem.”

   Ennoshita went back to focusing on the lecture.  Tanaka fumbled with the lead and went back to note taking.  The class concluded and the two boys packed up to go to their next class.

   “Hey, are you going to be at volleyball practice?”  Tanaka asked as he stood

   “Yeah, I am...”  Ennoshita looked confused, then his face brightened as he had a moment of realization.  “Oh!  You’re on the volleyball team, too!  Tanaka, wasn’t it?”

   Tanaka’s heart melted and his brain scrambled as he heard Ennoshita say his name.

   “Y-yeah!  I’m the Tanaka Ryūnosuke!”

   Ennoshita chuckled and Tanaka’s knees nearly gave out.  He felt his cheeks get warm.

   “You’re the one who got hit, right?”  Ennoshita smiled with pleasantness and concern, cocking his head to one side as he spoke to Tanaka.

   “Oh uh, yeah...” Tanaka felt his face get even warmer.  “I’m fine now!  I just needed to sleep it off.  That doesn’t happen often, trust me.  Usually one of our first years, Hinata, is getting pounded by volleyballs.”

   “Dang, I didn’t know the Karasuno team was so prone to getting hit.”

   “I suppose it just depends on the day.”

   “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better.  I was a little worried yesterday.  I’ll see your around.”

   “Bye.”

   Tanaka followed Ennoshita out the door and watched him walk down the hallway.  A smile was spread across his face as he leaned against the wall, his brain on cloud nine.

   “Did something go down?”  Tanaka jumped at the sudden voice near him, looking down to see Nishinoya giving him a suggestive smile.  Tanaka leaned down and grabbed Nishinoya by the shoulders.

   “He laughed at me.”

   “What?”

   “And he said he was worried when I got hit by that volleyball.”

   Tanaka let go of Nishinoya’s shoulders and wrapped his arms around himself

   “It was amazing!  He has such a cute laugh!  And he cared about me!  Do you think that means he likes me?”

   “It probably means that he gets concerned when people get hurt...” Nishinoya crossed his arms.  “Don’t get your hopes up right away, you still barely talk to him.  I doubt that he knows anything about you other than you can’t hit a volleyball.”

   “Hey!” Tanaka snapped at Nishinoya, but then he remembered Ennoshita not connecting that he was on the volleyball team until just a few minutes ago.  Ennoshita had barely remembered his name.  That meant he probably knew nothing about him.

   “Why is this so hard!  I just want him!” Tanaka tried to suppress his frustration, but he let out his exclamations a bit too loudly, causing a handful of students to turn and look at the two boys.

   “Let’s talk about this later,” Nishinoya said to Tanaka, quietly.  “We need to get to class.”

* * *

 

   Volleyball practice came and went.  Sugawara and Ennoshita chatted between drills.  Nishinoya and Asahi tried to get Tanaka to speak to Ennoshita, with minimal luck.  The practice went well, the team becoming noticeably more unified.  Hinata and Kageyama only got into a few arguments, which Ennoshita questioned.  For Tanaka, it was becoming awkward having to explain that these negative actions were normal with the team, making Ennoshita skeptical about how the team actually functioned.  A few times, Tanaka caught Asahi speaking to Ennoshita, just a few words, but enough to make him wonder what they were talking about.  Tanaka assumed Ennoshita had asked a question to Asahi because he may have been the closest teammate at the time, but the thought that maybe Asahi had initiated the conversation lurked in the back of Tanaka’s head.  It was unlikely, but if Asahi had started the conversation, was it about him?  Did Nishinoya recruit Asahi to say stuff to Ennoshita about him?  No, that couldn’t be.  Asahi would be to shy and awkward to do so, but Tanaka was never sure.  Whatever they were talking about, they both always had a pleasant smile on their faces.

   Practice was particularly hard that day, probably because of Ukai and Daichi not being in the best of moods.  Smaller things set them off, causing the team to have to do more drills and play harder during practice games.  Once practice was over, the boys retreated to the locker room, except for Sugawara to went back to make sure Daichi had calmed down and was feeling alright.  The locker room quickly became hot and the air thick as the warn out boys filed in.  Hinata and Kageyama were at each other’s throats for one reason or another, Asahi and Nishinoya were being their usual fluffy selves around each other, and Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were idly chatting with one another.  As each boy changed back into regular clothes, said their goodbyes and headed home.  Tanaka leaned down to grab the shirt he was about to change into off the bench behind him, only to knock it onto the floor.

_Darn it_ he thought as he turned around.  Upon looking up, he saw a sight he had never thought he would see.  Ennoshita pulled his t-shirt off over his head, tousling his hair in the process.  Tanaka stared, wide-eyed at Ennoshita’s back, flexing ever so slightly as he reached into a locker to pull out another shirt to put on.  He had perfect skin, with a few freckles here and there.  The sweat made his back catch the light and the tops of his shoulders were ever so slightly flushed.  He was still wearing his practice shorts, his legs exposed.  All Tanaka could think about was the scenario Nishinoya had to described to him the previous evening.  

_Legs..._

_Thighs…_

_Red…_

_Sweating…_

_Ryūnosuke…_

   “Hey, Tanaka, why are you staring at Ennoshita?” Tanaka shot out of the daydream, his face going pale and his mind going a mile a minute.

   “I was not staring, Hinata!  I just zoned out!” Tanaka noticed that Ennoshita had turned slightly.  His face was red and he turned away once Tanaka’s eyes met his.  Ennoshita quickly pulled his shirt over his head and pulled his pants on over his shorts, gathering his belongings and hurrying out of the locker room.

   Tanaka pulled his shirt over his face and groaned.  He sat down, feeling defeated.

   “Nice one, Tanaka.”  Nishinoya waltzed over to Tanaka and gave him a big smile.  “I guess you find him _very_ interesting.”

   Tanaka took his shirt and hit Nishinoya with it.  “Shut up.”

   Hinata looked at the two of them with confusion and worry.  “Was it something I said?”

   Nishinoya put a hand on Hinata’s shoulder.  “No you did nothing wrong.  C’mon Tanaka, Asahi and I are ready to go.”

   Tanaka pulled his shirt on, picked up his bags and headed out with Asahi and Tanaka.

   “I didn’t know you could be so smooth and subtle, Tanaka,” Asahi commented as the three left the locker room.  “That performance rivaled Yū’s subtlety before we started going out.”

   Nishinoya laughed and Tanaka groaned once again, both of them knowing right well that Nishinoya was the least subtle person when it came to showing his feelings for Asahi.

   “Why are you two my friends?”

   “Because no one else will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa Chapter 2! Aaaayyyyeee
> 
> I hope this was a good addition. I'm still writing parts. RN I'm stuck on pt 8, so I predict there will be at least 10 parts (at least 5 of those will be dry af but it's my fic and I'll write as a pls) Sorry if the text messages are a nightmare to read, I wanted to give them some style. Thank you Kat for going through and adding the punctuation back into Nishinoya's messages only for me to remove again.
> 
> Thank you for reading and for the kudos and comments! It means the world to me!


	3. Another Mystery Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ennoshita makes other friends, or in which the love triangle is briefly introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the chapter where the OC is introduced (as mentioned in the tags). He was created only as a plot device for this fic and his only role is to progress the story. I suppose I could have used a canon character, but this way was easier. He will come up throughout the rest of the work so brace yourself.

   A few weeks had passed since Ennoshita first arrived at Karasuno High.  Through much encouragement by Nishinoya and Asahi, Tanaka talked to Ennoshita more, becoming closer as friends and teammates, but not as close and Tanaka would have liked.  The incident in the locker room certainly didn’t help Tanaka become better friends with Ennoshita, but he seemed to move past what had happened.  Sugawara was still the closest with Ennoshita, at least as far as the team went, but Tanaka knew Sugawara posed no threat to interfering with Tanaka's goal of winning Ennoshita’s heart.  Because Tanaka only had one class with Ennoshita, he really had no idea who he had become friends with or who he was interacting with.  Tanaka would soon learn of a certain person who had taken an interest in Ennoshita.

   Tanaka and Nishinoya walked down the long hallway that lead to the courtyard of their school.  Students were walking out, milling around, and waiting for club activities to begin.

   “Any progress with Ennoshita?” Nishinoya asked, though he already knew the answer.

   “Not really.  I try talking to him, but he seems to take it just as me being friendly because he's new.”

   “Why don't you ask him to study with you after school?  Do it in the library so you don't scare him off.”

   “I would, but we only have one class together.  It would be easier if more people were with us, but I don't know who his other friends are.  I don't want him feeling awkward if     only people I know are there.”

   “I guess you're right.”

   The two had moved to one side of the crowded hallway.  Just as they turned a corner, Nishinoya stopped.

   “Tanaka, look.  There's Ennoshita.  Go talk to him!  Ask about studying!”

   Tanaka looked the direction Nishinoya that was pointing.  Sure enough, there was Ennoshita.  Just as Tanaka was going to walk across the hallway to meet Ennoshita, Nishinoya grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him behind a trophy case.

   “What was that for?!”

   “Just look.  He’s talking to someone.”

   They both looked towards Ennoshita.  As some students walked away, there became a clear line of sight to another boy who was talking to Ennoshita.  He was tall and well built, with dark hair that had a slight wave.  He propped himself against the wall with his elbow, looking down and talking to Ennoshita.  He cracked a smile as he said something that caused Ennoshita to laugh.

   “Who is that?  What’s he trying to do?  Why is he talking to Ennoshita?”  Tanaka’s voice was sharp and bitter.

   “Calm down!  I don’t know who he is… he’s handsome though...”

   “Nishinoya you’re not helping!”

   “Sorry, sorry.”  Nishinoya pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the two.  “I’ll show Asahi this picture.  Maybe he’ll know who he is.”

   “Ask Sugawara, too, he knows everyone.”

   “True.”

   The tall boy pushed himself off the wall and gestured down the hallway.  He and Ennoshita began to walk away, talking and laughing the whole way.

   “Nishinoya!  Where are they going?”

   “Probably home.  We should go too.”

   They waited until Ennoshita and the other boy were completely out of sight before heading down the hallway.

   “Who do you think that was?”

   “I don’t know, Tanaka.  Maybe he’s in one of Ennoshita’s other classes.”

   “Maybe… But did you see how Ennoshita was smiling and laughing?  I’ve never made him do that...”

   “Maybe because you can barely speak to him without messing up,” Nishinoya said under his breath.

   “I heard that!”

   “Good!  You need to know that you need to be more confident!”

   “I’m trying to be!  But it’s hard… especially around him.”

   Nishinoya rolled his eyes.  “Okay, let’s forget about this for today.  We can talk about it at practice later.”

   “Okay.  See ya.”

   “Bye.”

* * *

 

   “He’s a second year, on the basketball team.  I heard he’s pretty good, too.”

   “Oh yeah!  What’s his name… Hashimoto?”

   “Yeah, yeah.  That sounds right.”

   Asahi and Sugawara discussed the boy in the photo before handing Nishinoya back his phone.  He was careful to crop Ennoshita out as best he could so the other two wouldn’t get suspicious.

   “What’s he like?  Who does he hang out with?  Does he get good grades?  Is he a troublemaker?  Does he have a record?”  Tanaka started firing off questions faster than anyone could comprehend.

   “Tanaka, slow down!  Why are you interested in this kid all of a sudden?”  Sugawara’s face had both curiosity and concern on it.

   “No reason,” Tanaka said, looking around the gymnasium.  “I just saw him today and I didn’t know who he was.  I was curious.”

   “If you say so...” Sugawara walking away.  “Let's get practice started.”

   Not much happened at practice.  Ukai told the boys about a competition that would be coming up.  They began to train a little harder in order to prepare for the matches ahead.  Ennoshita had integrated well into the team and everyone seemed to have welcomed and accepted him, even Tsukishima.  It helped that Ennoshita was pleasant and had a calm attitude, Asahi noting that it was similar to Sugawara’s personality.  After some time of practicing, the team started to get more into the practice, bonding and blending their skills.  At some point, Tanaka made a rather impressive shot, which sparked Nishinoya to jump and cheer wildly, Hinata following close behind, and Tanaka ripping his shirt off and whipping it over his head.

   “Is that normal, too?” Ennoshita asked Asahi, who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal.

   “Oh, them?”  Asahi nodded to the group of celebrating boys.  “Yeah, it’s normal for them.  They can get pretty hyped up over certain plays.”

   “It’s nice to see that they are excited to play.  Most of the boys on my old team weren’t that enthusiastic...”

   “Really?  We’ve gone through periods of less energy and gusto, but it usually comes back up around competition time.”

   The two continued to observe the other boys dancing around as Sugawara and Daichi tried to calm them down.

   “Aren’t you afraid that Tanaka is going to hurt the two other boys?  They’re so small compared to him, in both height and build.”

   Asahi looked down at Ennoshita who was still looking at the other players.  “Um, no...” he thought for a second as to what to say.  “Tanaka knows when he needs to be gentle.”

   “That’s good to hear.”  Ennoshita smiled pleasantly, Asahi not knowing what to say next.

_    OMG what just happened?  What does all that mean?  Does he like Tanaka too?  Do I tell Tanaka?  I should at least tell Nishinoya, but will he tell Tanaka? _

   Practice ended and the team was all pumped up and ready to go, some more than others.  Praises about each boy’s performances floated around the locker room.  Everyone was smiling and talking about how well they’re going to do at the competition, even though it wouldn’t happen for a few months.  Tanaka looked over to Ennoshita who was looking down at his phone, a grin on his face.  He typed a few words and set his phone down.

   “Who ya texting?”  Tanaka asked, mainly to have something to say to the other.

   “Oh,” Ennoshita responded, “just a friend.”

   “Just a friend?  Maybe a girl?”  Tanaka tried to sound lighthearted and teasing, but deep down he hoped Ennoshita was texting a girl.  Anyone but that Hashimoto character, really.

   “No!”  Ennoshita shot back.  “It’s just a guy in my math class.  He, uh, had a question about the homework.”

   “Aren’t you helpful?”  Tanaka smiled at Ennoshita, getting one in return.  

   “It’s nice that he knows someone who can actually help with homework.”  Tanaka shot a look at Nishinoya, who just stuck his tongue out in return.

   “I try to be.”  Ennoshita pulling his bags together and left the locker room.

   “Someone’s on the move,”  Nishinoya came over and playfully punched Tanaka in the arm.  “I knew you could do it!”

   “What can I say?  I’m a natural!”

   Asahi came up behind the two.  “But you didn’t get his number.”

   Tanaka looked at Asahi, Nishinoya looked at Tanaka.

   “I… I didn’t.”

   “You shoulda...”  Asahi said, crossing his arms.  “You should ask him while you’re in class.  Say you’ve been having trouble understanding a concept that you know he’s good at.  Ask if you can exchange numbers so you can ask him for help.  Once you two become closer, you text him for less formal things.  One step closer to winning him over.  You gotta get the digits.”

   Both Nishinoya and Tanaka looked surprised and impressed.  Asahi knowing good advice for making advances on a potential partner that aren't awkward or elaborate?  Unheard of.  The three of the left the locker room and began to walk outside.  Tanaka noticed Ennoshita setting his bags down outside and sliding some money into a vending machine to get a well deserved post-practice snack.  Tanaka was going to go over to say hi and maybe walk a little ways home with Ennoshita when a tall figured appeared out of what seemed like no where.  He smiled and said hello to Ennoshita, getting a smile in return.

   “What’s going on over there?”  Tanaka pointed to where Ennoshita stood with the other boy.  “Is that the guy from before?”

   Asahi and Nishinoya stopped and looked down to where the two boys stood.

   “Yeah, I think that’s Hashimoto.”  Asahi sounded unconcerned.  “Do you have something against him, Tanaka?”

   “No…” Tanaka pouted.  “I just… I…”

   “Tanaka’s afraid he’s gonna steal Ennoshita,” Nishinoya piped up.  Tanaka did not respond

   “I doubt he w-” Asahi was cut off when the three boys saw Hashimoto say something to Ennoshita, get a nod, and pick up one of Ennoshita’s bags and began to walk away, chatting with Ennoshita.  He then put one of his long, strong arms across Ennoshita’s shoulders and leaned in to tell hims something that made Ennoshita laugh.

   “No he didn’t.”

   “Oh my gosh.”

   Tanaka just stared, openmouthed and silent.  He couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

   “WHAT WAS THAT!”  Tanaka shouted after what seemed like a lifetime.

   “Looks like someone just stole your man,” Asahi said, taking a drink from his water bottle then started walking away.  “Things just got a little more complicated."   
  



	4. TanakaCantFlirt.txt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka still isn't over Ennoshita and has some only semi-awkward surprise trip to the supermarket.

   “Tanaka, it’s not the end of the world.”  Nishinoya sat down beside Tanaka who was lying in a heap on his bed.  His face was buried in a pillow, muffling his groans and sobs.  “Please, Tanaka calm down.”

   “HOW CAN I CALM DOWN?!  HE TOOK MY ENNOSHITA!”

   Tanaka returned to yelling into his pillow.  The previous night, Tanaka had gone home sulking, but he was put together.  That Saturday morning, Nishinoya had received a call from Saeko saying that Tanaka was a mess about something, but she couldn’t understand a word he was saying.  Knowing exactly what was up, Nishinoya called Asahi for back up and went to Tanaka’s house.  When he got there, the situation was much worse than he had anticipated.  Tanaka was an absolute disaster.

   “Tanaka, please, take deep breaths, focus on being calm.”  No matter how hard Nishinoya tried, he just couldn’t seem to calm Tanaka down.  Just as he was losing hope, Asahi came through the door.

   “It’s about time.  Do you have any ideas on how to get him back to normal?”

   Asahi gave Nishinoya a firm nod and took a deep breath.

   “Tanaka Ryūnosuke.”  Asahi didn’t yell, but his deep, stern voice made it sound like he had.  Tanaka jumped in surprise and turned slightly to see Asahi standing before him.  Before anyone could say anything, Asahi picked Tanaka up from the underarms and lifted him up, bringing their faces together.  Nishinoya watched in astonishment.

   “Pull.  Yourself.  Together.  Staying locked up in your room isn’t helping the situation at all.  It’s probably hurting it more than anything.  Are you going to stay here and let Ennoshita get whisked away by some basketball player or are going to go in there and be the Prince Charming Ennoshita needs and save the day?”

   Tanaka sniffed a little before responding.  “I want to be his Prince Charming...”

   “And do you think Prince Charming would stay up in his room and drown in his own emotions because something wasn’t going right?”

   “...No.”

   Asahi set Tanaka back down.  “So are you going to stay in here or are you going to save Ennoshita from the evil hands of the basketball boy.”

   “I’m going to save him!”

   Tanaka jumped up which also got Nishinoya excited.  The two of them yelled something about saving the damoiseau in distress.  Before either of them could get too far into the hallway, Asahi called out to them.

   “It’s Saturday.”

   Tanaka and Nishinoya stopped and turned to look at each other then at Asahi.

   “What do we do?”  Tanaka asked.

   “I guess we’ll have to wait until Monday or something,” Nishinoya responded

   “I can’t wait that long!  What if they’re out together right now?”

   “Do you think Ennoshita is going to like you more if you stay back and let him live his life or if you try to force yourself in despite what he might want?”  Asahi spoke up, leaving Tanaka wide-eyes and full of concentration.

   “I… I should let him live his life… But that’s hard when I want to be in it!”

   Asahi leaned down to look Tanaka in the eyes.  Asahi’s eyes were soft and kind.

   “You just need to be patient.  But you also have to be aware of what’s going on.  You don’t want to wait until it’s too late to make a major move.”

   Tanaka sat back down on the bed.  “I guess you’re right...”

   Nishinoya, a little taken aback, finally chimed into the conversation.

   “Why don’t we go into town and see a movie of play games at the arcade?”

   With a unanimous yes, the three of them convinced Saeko to drive them to the mall.  They would walk around and hit up the arcade while she did some shopping, or maybe play some games with them.  Either way, Nishinoya knew they just needed something to get Tanaka’s mind off Ennoshita and Hashimoto.

* * *

“OMG ASAHI GO!”  Nishinoya jumped around Asahi hovered over the old-school Galactica game station.  He was pressing the buttons with such force Tanaka was surprised that they were still working

   “C’mon, Asahi, just a few more hit!”  All three boys had adrenalin running through their veins as Asahi worked to clear one of the final stages.

   “No no NO!” Asahi yelled as the scream slowly faded out and the words “game over” came onto the screen.  All the boys let out a groan and frustration and disappointment as the game ended, but their spirits were soon brightened as they looked to the screen again.

   “Asahi!  You’re the top player!  Look at all those points!”  Nishinoya pointed at the screen.

   “What can I say?  I’m good at Galactica.”

   “You’re good at every arcade game,” Tanaka teasingly scoffed.

   “I’m good at the old ones, at least.  You have the claw game down pat and Nishinoya can do the rhythm and dancing games like nobody’s business.”

   Nishinoya smiled proudly, still sweaty from dancing earlier.  Tanaka looked down at his bag full of small stuffed creatures and characters.

   “I can give those plushies to Saeko or someone...”

   “Maybe Hinata would take one for his sister.”

   “That’s a nice idea.”  The three boys left the arcade.  Their next mission was to get to the food court for some much needed lunch.  It was early enough in the day that the mall was not too crowded and the three could easily play the games that they wanted.  The food court was almost empty and they got their food easily and sat down to eat.

   “The food’s not half back,” Tanaka said as he slurped up more noodles.

   The other boys nodded in agreement.  Nishinoya and Asahi sat on one side of a small table, across from Tanaka.  The three chatted for a while.  Tanaka got out his phone, reading a text from his sister that they would have to leave in an hour.  That was plenty of time to do some browsing and window shopping.  Suddenly, Nishinoya stopped eating, his eyes wide, staring at something in the distance.

   “Is something wrong, Nishinoya?” Tanaka asked, continuing pile noodles in his mouth.

   “There he is,” Nishinoya pointed behind Tanaka at a row of stores.  Tanaka turned to look the direction of Nishinoya’s finger.  Asahi looked as well, almost dropping his chopsticks when his eyes found what Nishinoya was pointing at.

   It was Ennoshita.

   “HOW THE-” Tanaka was cut off by Asahi silencing him.

   “Don’t raise your voice, Tanaka,” Asahi said, “don’t attract attention.”

   “You should talk to him.”  Nishinoya continued to stare at Ennoshita.

   “W-what?  I mean, it might be kind awkward.”  Tanaka looked down at his nearly finished food.  “I don’t want him to think that I followed him here.”

   “We’ll come with you,” Nishinoya said, smiling and latching onto Asahi’s arm.  “We’ll just happen to run into him.  You can do the talking and Asahi and I will be there for backup!”

   “A-are you sure, Nishinoya?  I think we might be more of a hindrance.”

   “Nonsense, Asahi!  Besides, Tanaka needs support.  Now, take a drink and have a mint.  Your breath smells like your lunch.”

   The three boys cleaned up their lunch and began to walk over to where Ennoshita was peering into a display window.

   “Now just act natural,” Nishinoya whispered.  “Tanaka, you go more in front.  Say hi to him from a short distance, enough to let him hear and notice you.  Not so far away there’s an awkward pause before more of the conversation can he held, but not so short that it’s an unnatural distance not to have noticed him before.”

   Tanaka tried to remember all of what Nishinoya had just said.  “Okay...”

   The group walked closer to Ennoshita, who, surprisingly, was still looking at the display.  Maybe he was reading something on the merchandise.

   “Now!” Nishinoya whisper-yelled and pushed Tanaka forward ever so slightly.  Asahi still had a worried look in his face.

   “Ennoshita!” Tanaka managed to get the name out without tripping up.

   Ennoshita looked up from the display and then to Tanaka, a look of surprise on his face.

   “Oh, Tanaka!” Ennoshita replied, making Tanaka’s heart flutter.  “It’s nice to see you.”

   Ennoshita picked up a bag he had set down and took a few strides to meet Tanaka.

   “Nishinoya, Asahi, it’s good to see you two as well.”  Nishinoya gave Ennoshita a broad smile while Asahi gave a small wave.

   “So what are you guys doing here?” Ennoshita asked. “Oh, not to be rude or anything.”

    _Oh he's so polite and cute_ Tanaka thought.

   “We were just hanging out.  We went to the arcade and got a bite to eat.  What have you been up to?”

   “My mom wanted me to get some stuff.  She was going to go by herself but she had to do some last minute stuff at work.  She asked me to do it for her.”

   “It's nice that you would do it for her.”

   “I try to help out.”

   Tanaka’s heart fluttered.

   “Do you have much more shopping to do?”

   “Not here.  I’ll need to the supermarket across the street next.”

   “Why don’t we go with him!” Nishinoya chimed in.

   “Are you guys sure?  I don’t want to bore you on your day off.”

   “Nonsense!  Tanaka, tell Saeko that’s where we’ll be.  It will be nice to hang out with Ennoshita some more!  C’mon!”  Nishinoya grabbed Asahi’s arm, despite some silent protest.  As Nishinoya passed Tanaka, he mouthed a ‘you’re welcome’ and the four of them left the mall to head to the supermarket together.

   “I mainly need fresh vegetables,” Ennoshita said, looking at the shopping list.  “It's not too much.”

   Tanaka looked at the list as well.   _Cabbage, carrots, broccoli, milk…_ All normal food your mother would need to buy.  The four boys walked around the supermarket, getting and occasional strange look from other people in the store.  Tanaka chatted with Ennoshita while Asahi tried desperately to stop Nishinoya from running off, or making too much commotion.  Somewhere during that time, Asahi and Nishinoya broke away from Tanaka and Ennoshita, leaving them with only each other.

   “So where did you live before you moved here?” Tanaka asked, desperate learn more about Ennoshita.

   “Oh, I lived farther north, near the coast.  It was a nice town, not too big.  The people there were really nice too.”

   “Do you miss living there?”

   “I little, but I haven’t lived here long.  I’m just happy my mom didn’t take a job in Tokyo.  I don’t think I could have survived in such a large city.”  Ennoshita smiled to himself.

   “Do you still stay in contact with your friends back there?”  Tanaka asked, wondering if those text messages Ennoshita kept getting could be from those friends.

   “Some of them.  We call, text and video call each other now and then.  I always have someone to keep me up to date on how the volleyball team is doing.”

   “Is your former team good?”

   “They’re okay.  They've only made it to nationals a few of times, and that was many years ago, but we always had fun playing the sport with each other even if we didn’t win.”

   “But you’re still close with the guys on the team?”

   “Yeah, I would say so.  Some of them I’ve known for years.”

   “That’s good.”  Ennoshita examined the assortment of cabbages in front of him.  He picked one up, put it back, chose another, then placed it in the basket.

   “I think that’s everything...” Ennoshita looked back over the shopping list.  “Oh!  We need to get chicken from the butcher.”

   The two started to walk to where the meats were sold.

   “Did you ever have any, oh I don’t know, girlfriends at your old school?” Tanaka asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

   Ennoshita chuckled.  “Of course you would ask something like that.  No, I never had a girlfriend.  I knew that there were a couple of girls who liked me, but I tried to make sure that they knew I wasn’t interested.”

   Tanaka pondered this for a moment.  He never had a girlfriend…

   “Any boyfriends?”  He still tried to sound casual, but it was getting more difficult.

   “Um, no, none of those either,” Ennoshita responded, looking a little confused.  “I suppose there were one or two guys that I had some interest in, but I never acted upon it.”

   “So you like guys?”

   “Yeah.  Do you have a problem with that?”  Ennoshita looked at Tanaka, giving him a judgemental slide glare while he still wore a playful smirk.

   “Oh no no!  I don’t have a problem!  No, it’s fine!  It doesn't really matter to me!”

   “Then why did you ask?”

    _Oh shit he can see right through me!_

   That was not a lie.  Ennoshita was not dense.  He knew that Tanaka was asking these questions for a reason.  What that reason was, Ennoshita was not one hundred percent sure, but he had a feeling it had to do with someone who had a crush on him, and he had an idea as to who that person may be.

   “Oh I guess I was just curious!”  Tanaka stammered, swallowing hard, trying his best to not sound suspicious, though his efforts were not completely successful.

   “If you say so,” Ennoshita said.  He then selected the meat he wanted from the butcher and the two headed to the front of the store to pay for the groceries.

   “Hey, where are Asahi and Nishinoya?”  Ennoshita asked, glancing around.

   “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them,” Tanaka said, putting his arm across Ennoshita’s shoulders to guide him towards the checkout counters.  “I’m sure that they’ll find their way out eventually.”  

   Out of the corner of his eye, Tanaka saw Nishinoya holding a box of something above his head as Asahi tried to get him to calm down.  Tanaka wanted to avoid the duo for a moment.  He was happy that they had left them alone in the grocery store.  Maybe it was Nishinoya’s idea so he could get closer to Ennoshita, or maybe Asahi just didn’t want to be in the way.  Either way, Tanaka didn’t want them to interfere just yet.

   “Well, the shopping is all done.  I should go catch the next train.  It was nice seeing you, Tanaka.”  Ennoshita turned to head towards the train station but Tanaka stopped him.

   “Why don’t you just get a ride with us?  My sister took us here, I’m sure she would be okay with dropping you off at home.”

   Ennoshita looked surprised.  “Well, I don’t want to be a bother...”

   “Oh you won’t be a bother!  Tanaka would looove it if you rode with us!” Nishinoya popped up behind the two, causing Ennoshita to jump.

   “It will be fun having Ennoshita with us!  Won’t it, Tanaka?”  Nishinoya winked at Tanaka.

   “Well, if you’re sure it’s okay, I suppose it would be easier than the train.”

   “Oh yeah, it will be fine.  Saeko’s got enough room.  You can sit in the front so your bags have a place to go.”

   “Alright, if you’re sure everything is fine.”

   “It is.  Trust me.”

* * *

   The five made it home without any major accidents, thanks to Saeko driving a little more cautiously than usual.  Tanaka did not appreciate being squeezed between Asahi and Nishinoya, but he knew that it wouldn't have been comforting for Ennoshita either.  

   Tanaka laid on his bed, staring up at his ceiling.  His phone buzzed.  It was… Suga?

S: _A little birdy told me someone’s in looooove~_

   How did he- Asahi, no, Nishinoya...

T: _Is it you and Daichi?_

S: _In love, make love..._

T: _Ewwwwwww_

S: _You’re just jealous_

T: _What do you want?_

S: _I want all the juicy deets about you and Ennoshita <3 _

T: _Nothing happened_

S: _Really?  I have a feeling something happened_

T: _Well youre wrong_

S: _Aw_

S: _But now I know you have a crush on him_

T: _...yeah. so?_

S: _Why didn't you tell me sooner!? I totally could have gotten you hooked up with that boy!_

T: _Thats not what I needed_

S: _Aw c'mon, I know you wanna touch that butt_

T: _Stop it_

S: _C’mon, I’m being serious.  I can help you get with him_

T: _I dont know if I want your help_

S: _Tanaka!_

T: _What are you going to do?_

S: _I can seduce him for you_

T: _Please dont_

S: _You’re no fun_

_T: _Well I just dont want things to be awkward yknow?__

S: _I feel.  But really, just give me the word and I’ll work my love-making magic_

T: _Idk_

S: _Tell ya what?  I’ll do some low-key pushing and pulling to get you two closer_

T: _Very lowkey_

S: _You can count on me!_

    _I hope this works_ Tanaka thought as he put his phone to his head and laid back further into his pillow.  He went to his phone again to text Daichi.

T: _Suga found out that I have a crush on Ennoshita and hes trying to “help” us get closer.  Will you make sure he doesnt go over board?_

   A few minutes passed.  Tanaka crossed his fingers that the two weren’t together and that Suga wasn’t snooping on Daichi’s phone.  Then Tanaka’s phone buzzed

D: _I’ve got you_

_  
_Oh thank goodness._  Tanaka let out a sigh of relief knowing that he could count on Daichi to keep Suga under control.  Maybe things wouldn’t be be a disaster after all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pt 4  
> Nice  
> I has issues yesterday and couldn't post this. I know this should have gone up last week but I was busy... with stuff.
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos, they each mean a lot to me!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


	5. From Bad to Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka's emotions start to catch up with him after seeing Ennoshita and Hashimoto together. Nishinoya is now worried that Tanaka might break because of all these intense feelings.

   The weekend came and went.  School, as usual, was boring for Tanaka.  He talked to Ennoshita, talked to Nishinoya and Asahi about talking to Ennoshita, then talked to Suga about not talking to Ennoshita about him talking to people about Ennoshita.  To say the least, Tanaka did a lot of talking.  But all of that payed off one day after practice.

   “Tanaka!  Come on over!”  Tanaka turned at the sound of Suga’s all-too-chipper voice as he exited the gym.  Suga stood a few paces away with Ennoshita beside him.  Tanaka strode over to the two boys with slight hesitation.

   “What’s up, Suga?”

   “You and Ennoshita seem to be getting along quite well, wouldn’t you say so?”  Suga gave Tanaka a big smile and a hard pat on the back.  “I’m surprised you two don’t hang out outside of school more than you already do.”

   Tanaka looked up and met Ennoshita’s eyes.  He looked confused and a little scared.

   “I s-suppose we just haven’t had the time,” Ennoshita said quietly.

   Suga laughed a hearty, and rather fake sounding, laugh.  “Well, I’m sure you both know I’m all about team bonding.  Maybe you two should get to know each other a little more.  I know there are interests you share, so I’m sure spending time together would help build the team relationship and, Tanaka, you can introduce Ennoshita to some of you other friends.”

   “Umm...” Ennoshita’s confused look grew stronger as he eyed Suga with caution.

   Suga reached into his pocket, producing two slips of paper, handing one to each boy.  “Here’s the other’s cell number.  Try to text each other and hang out.  And Tanaka, maybe you can get Nishinoya in on this.  You second years need to stick together!”  Suga gave each boy a hard slap on the back before darting off to go home.  “Maybe study together!  Tanaka’s grades could use the extra effort, Ennoshita!”

   Tanaka turned and saw Ennoshita with his mouth slightly open, looking the direction Suga went, then to the paper in his hand.

   “What just happened?”

   Tanaka could feel his face turning pink.  “I guess he just wants a closer team!  He’s always looking for good bonding opportunities!  Haha!”

   The confusion did not leave Ennoshita’s face.  “He told me that there was an important issue about the team he wanted address with me.  Do you know what that could have been?”

   Tanaka’s mind went blank.   _Important issue?  What was going on that Suga…_

“Suga...” Tanaka quietly said, realizing that there was no important issue.  This was all some kind of weird plan to get Tanaka Ennoshita’s phone number, disguised as just Suga’s way of getting the two boys closer.

   “Is something wrong?”  Ennoshita questioned.

   “Oh, uh, no… I don’t know what issue Suga was talking about either…” Tanaka’s mind was racing trying to figure out what to say without sounding awkward.  “But if you think that there is an issue and you want to talk about it, just, uh, text me.”

   Tanaka gestured slightly to the slip of paper in the other boy’s hand, drawing Ennoshita’s attention there instead of the holes in the situation

   “Oh, yeah, I guess I can,”  Ennoshita replied, smiling a little.  “I still don’t fully understand how this team operates, but maybe it’s better I don’t...”

   Ennoshita pulled out his phone and began to type Tanaka’s number into his contacts

    _That’s a cute, little charm_ Tanaka thought as he watched Ennoshita tap away at his phone.  A little chain with star charms dangling off of it swung gently as Ennoshita finished typing Tanaka’s number in.

   “Does that look correct?”  Ennoshita turned his phone to Tanaka could see the screen.

   “Uh… yeah, that’s right.  I’ll have to put yours in when I get home.  My phone, uh, died.”

   Ennoshita smiled.  “That’s okay.  I’ll send you a text a little later to make sure every was put in correctly.”

   “Y-yeah.”

   Ennoshita and Tanaka started to walk away from the school and towards their separate paths to get home only slightly awkwardly.

   “See you around, Ennoshita.”

   “Bye.”

><><><

   Tanaka exited the bathroom after showering to find a text from Ennoshita.

E: _Tanaka Ryūnosuke?_

    _It’s him!_  Tanaka thought, quickly typing a response

T: _That’s me.  Ennoshita Chikara?_

E: _Yup.  Looks like everything is in order._

T: _Yeah_

Tanaka stared at his phone blankly.  He wanted to continue talking to Ennoshita, but it was late, and he saw no way to continue with conversation without making it awkward, so Tanaka went to bed.  That night, he dreamt of Ennoshita.

><><><

   The next school day, Tanaka and Nishinoya were hanging around in the hallway, waiting for the lunch block to be over.  They talked about this and that, Tanaka retelling the events that happened after practice the previous day, Nishinoya scolding him for not texting Ennoshita.  

   “I don’t know, Suga made it seem like he only got my number for school purposes.”

   “Leave it to him to make things better and worse at the same time.”

   Tanaka leaved against the window, putting his head back.

   “It feels like everyday I fall for that boy more and more.”

   “Wow, that’s pretty gay.”

   “Look who’s talking.”

   “Speaking of looking, look down the hallway.”

   Tanaka leaned forward and peered down the hallway.  There, he saw Ennoshita, walking towards them.  By his side was none other than Mr. Basketball Hotshot.

   “Oh no,” Tanaka said, standing up.  “No no no and no.”

   Nishinoya saw Tanaka starting to walk towards the pair so he pulled him back tp prevent any actions that Tanaka would regret later.

   “I’m not going to let you go over there unless I know you can keep your cool.”

   Tanaka huffed.  “Fine.”

   “Now what are you going to say?”

   Tanaka paused, thinking hard about the interaction that was soon to come.  “Uh...”

   “Okay, this is what you’ll do: wait until they get closer and _casually_ say ‘hi’ to Ennoshita.  This way you get his attention without seeming like you’re butting in.”

   Tanaka thought this over, and smiled in agreement.  The two waited a few minutes for Ennoshita and Hashimoto to get closer to them.  Then there perfect moment came.

   “Ennoshita!  Hey!”  Tanaka took a few steps forward and put a big smile on his face.  Ennoshita turned to look away from Hashimoto and to Tanaka.

   “Hey!”  Ennoshita took a few steps towards Tanaka.  “Did you guys finish lunch?”

   “Yeah, we did a little while ago,”  Nishinoya butted in.  “We’re waiting for class to start.”

   “Yeah?  We finished eating a few minutes ago.  By the time we get to our classrooms, lunch will be over.”  Ennoshita gestured to Hashimoto then to Tanaka and Nishinoya.  “Do you all know each other?”

   Tanaka glared at the boy.  Nishinoya, noticing the tension, stepped in.

   “I think we might have seen each other around.  You’re on the basketball team, right?”

   “I am.”  Nishinoya and Tanaka’s eyes widened and stared at Hashimoto.  Saying his voice was deep would be an understatement.  Those two words came out deeper than Mariana Trench, catching Tanaka and Nishinoya completely off guard.  They continued to gape.

   “Well… it was nice seeing you, Tanaka.  You too, Nishinoya!”  Ennoshita’s voice broke the trance Tanaka and Nishinoya were in.

   “Yeah, nice seeing you too,” Tanaka replied, watching as the two boys continued their way down the hall.  He then closed his eyes and leaned back against the window.

   “That wasn’t awkward at all,” Nishinoya said with a huff.

   “I could have been worse.”  Tanaka’s eyes opened and looked back to Ennoshita and Hashimoto, just in time to see an unforgettable sight.

   “Nishinoya!”  Tanaka pointed down the hall.  One of Hashimoto’s arms was draped over Ennoshita’s shoulders.  As he leaned down to see something Ennoshita was showing him on his phone, that arm began to move, slowly bringing that hand down to Ennoshita’s waist, pulling them ever so slightly closer together.  That hand didn’t move when Hashimoto stood up straight again, his fingers holding a little tighter to Ennoshita’s waist.

   “DO YOU S-” Tanaka’s mouth was covered by Nishinoya’s hand.

   “Don’t.  Yell.”  Nishinoya pulled Tanaka over into a smaller hallway.

   “Are you crying?”  Nishinoya looked up at Tanaka’s reddening face.

   “N-no,” he said.  “I j-just...”

   Tanaka paused and looked up at the ceiling.  “Is this my fault?”

   Nishinoya was taken aback.

   “No, it’s not your fault!  Don’t think like that!”

   “B-but…” Tanaka had to take a deep breath before he continued.  “If I had acted faster… Better… then that… that could be me with Ennoshita.”

   At that moment, Nishinoya knew this situation was different.  This crush was different.  Ennoshita was different.  In the past, Tanaka had had plenty of crushes.  Some lasted a few days, others a few months.  Some he acted upon, others he did not.  Despite all the rejections, fallouts, and bad timings, Tanaka always kept going.  He never treated a person badly because they weren’t interested or did want to continue the relationship.  He was always mature about it and they would go their separate ways.  Yes, there were times Tanaka had been upset about a relationship not working out, but he never reached this level.  He had never gotten to the point of crying, or at least tearing up, in a public place.  That made Nishinoya realize that Ennoshita meant something more to Tanaka, not that his other crushes didn’t.  Whatever that was, seeing Ennoshita be so close to Hashimoto just broke him.  That fact that he wasn’t the one showing affection to Ennoshita shattered his heart.  

   Ennoshita was the entire world to Tanaka.

   And Hashimoto had taken that world away.

><><><

   Suga watched Tanaka as he checked the volleyballs to make sure they were well filled.

   “Daichi,” Suga said. “Do you know if everything is alright with Tanaka?”

   Daichi stopped what he was doing and walked over to Suga

   “I haven’t heard anything.  Do you think something is wrong?”

   “I’m not sure.  He doesn’t seem to be as… peppy today.”

   The two watched Tanaka for a few moments.

   “Maybe he didn’t do well on a test or something...”  Daichi’s answer did not satisfy Suga.

   “Whatever it is, I hope it blows over soon.  His energy really keeps the team going.”

   As they continued to watch Tanaka, they heard the familiar sound the locker room door opening and closing, then laughter that could only come from some of the players.  They looked over to see Ennoshita talking and laughing with Kinoshita.

   “Ennoshita~” Suga said with a sing-song voice.  “Could you come here please?”

   Ennoshita trotted over to Suga and Daichi.  “What’s up?”

   “Could you go over and help Tanaka with the volleyballs?”  Suga pointed across the court to where Tanaka was elbow-deep in the ball cart.

   “Uh, yeah, sure.”  Ennoshita jogged over to where Tanaka was working.

   “Hey, I was told to help you out.  Just checking for flats?”

   Tanaka’s eyes shot up to see Ennoshita giving him a pleasant smile.  Just seeing that smile gave Tanaka a pit in his stomach and made his knees weak.

   “Y-yeah, checking for flats.”  Ennoshita went to the other side of the cart and stuck his hands in with Tanaka’s.

   “So,” Tanaka started, attempting to break the silence.  “You and Hashimoto seem to be getting along.”

   “Yeah,” Ennoshita replied, still focusing on the volleyballs.  “He’s in my math class.  He was really nice to me when I first came to this school and we get along really well.  He’s better at math than I am so it’s nice to study with him.  He always explains the problems so I understand how to use the formulas correctly.”

 _Math? Studying together?!_  Tanaka thought as Ennoshita continued to talk.

   “I found out later that he was on the basketball team.  Pretty cool, huh?”

   “Yeah, that is pretty cool.  Have you made any other friends?”

   “A few.  I get along with a girl in my history class pretty well and a couple guys in my chemistry class.  We do labs together.  And of course there’s you guys.”

   Ennoshita looked up at Tanaka with a smile.  “You all have been really accepting.  Honestly, I was surprised.  I thought that maybe there would be a lot more people on the team and I would kinda slip through the cracks...”

   “Oh, well, Suga is really good about making sure everyone is included, and yeah, our team is small enough that missing one person wouldn’t go unnoticed.”

   Ennoshita chuckled.  “That’s good.”

   There was another moment of silence passed before Tanaka began to speak.

   “Do you hang out with people outside of school often?”

   “Sometimes.  I’ve never been one to do it a lot, though.  I would usually just do it to study.  But I’ve hung out with some people just for kicks.  I guess it’s nicer because they seem more mature and it’s not awkward if we don’t do much.”

   “Is there someone you hang out with the most?”

   Ennoshita paused, pulling out a ball.  “I guess it would be Hashimoto.  We study together the most often, and we sometimes go out other places.”

 _Go out?  Like, out out, or just out?_  Tanaka’s mind was going a mile a minute.

   “It’s nice going with him because he knows the town better than I do so he’s been showing me the cool, lesser-known spots to hang out,” Ennoshita continued.  “He knows so much, and I have such a nice time with him...”

   Tanaka saw Ennoshita’s cheeks turning a little pink and his heart sank.

   “Say, Tanaka, have you ever...”

_Have I ever what?  Wanted to scoop someone up like a princess and take them to my house, away from the ferocious beast, and treat them like royalty?  Yes.  That person is YOU._

   Ennoshita bit his lip.  “Ever, like, seriously dated someone?”

_Oh my gosh, why are you so damn cute?!  Why are you asking me about dating?_

   “I mean, I have had relationships in the past… I don’t know how serious they were.  Why do you ask?”

   “Oh,” Ennoshita said, looking up to the ceiling.  “I guess I was just wondering.  You seem like the kind of guy that the girls would swarm.  I just didn’t know how much you, y’know, went from girl to girl, guy to guy or…”

_He think’s I’m a player?  He think’s I fool around a lot?  That’s not right!_

   “I mean… I certainly don’t hop around.  I’ve.. I’ve been in relationships, but not any more than usual!  If you have questions, you should ask Nishinoya.  He and Asahi have been going out for what seems like forever.”

   “Oh, okay… thanks Tanaka.”

   Shortly after, practice officially began.  Tanaka, of course didn’t perform as well he could have, and that didn’t go unnoticed by the captains or coaches, but not much could be done.  Fortunately, as they continued to play, Tanaka regained most of his energy and enthusiasm.

><><><

   “Are you doing okay?”  Nishinoya asked after practice was over.

   “Yeah, I would say so.”

   “You sure?”

   “Yeah.”

   The two leaned against a wall in wait of Asahi.

   “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?”

   Tanaka was quiet and took a deep breath.  “I suppose talking would be nice, but I don’t think here is the right place.”

   “If you say so…”  Nishinoya spotted Asahi and waved as he walked over.

   “I’ll let you two go...” Tanaka started off home by himself, leaving Nishinoya and Asahi.

   “Is he okay?”  Asahi asked, worry lacing his words.

   “He will be.”

   “Should I ask what happened?”

   “It’s fine.  We saw Ennoshita today and he was hanging out with that Hashimoto kid who’s on the basketball team.”

   “I remember you talking about him.”

   “Yeah.  Well, when the left, he was being all...” Nishinoya scrunched his face and did an obscure gesture with his hands.

   “I don’t understand.”

   “He was...” Again Nishinoya tried to complete his thought using his hands.  “He was being all touchy feely.”

   “Touchy feely?”

   “Yeah, like, he had his arm on Ennoshita’s shoulder then on his waist and Tanaka got upset because of that and Ennoshita doesn’t know he likes him...”

   “Are Hashimoto and Ennoshita together?”

   “That’s the hard part.  Ennoshita has never said anything about being with someone, and when we saw them, he didn’t introduce Hashimoto as his boyfriend or anything.  But they seem really close so I wouldn’t be surprised if they are and I think that’s what Tanaka is upset about.”

   “That someone got to Ennoshita first?”

   “Yeah...”

   “Well, he always bounces back.”

   “That’s the thing, I’m not sure he will.”

   Asahi looked more concerned.  “What do you mean?”

   “Yeah, he’s been in relationships and had crushes and all but this one feels… like really different.  Whenever things haven’t worked out in the past, Tanaka was always, _always,_ able to pick himself up, but now, I don’t know.  I have never seen Tanaka react so strongly to something, especially an action so small.”

   “You think this is more than a crush?”

   “I don’t want to say anything before I know for sure.”

   “I'm sure everything will be fine.”

   “I just don't want Tanaka doing something stupid.”

   “I understand.’

   Asahi and Nishinoya walked together until they got to the intersection where they would have to part ways.  Asahi pulled Nishinoya in close, giving him a kiss that was a little longer and deeper than usual.  He leaned down to look Nishinoya in the eyes after breaking the kiss apart, holding Nishinoya’s face in his hands, rubbing the apples of his cheeks with his thumbs.

   “I adore you very much, Yū.  You know that?”

   Nishinoya put his hands on top of Asahi's, rubbing his face into his loving palms.  “Of course I know, and I adore you too.”

   “If you have a problem, even if it's about our relationship, you'll tell me?

   “Of course I will.”

   Asahi pulled Nishinoya's face closer and planted a firm yet gentle kiss on Nishinoya's forehead.  “Okay.  Text me when you get home.’

   “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update? What?
> 
> Lol I was writing other stuff and I forgot about this (I really just put off proofreading).
> 
> I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I can't promise regular updates on this guy, but I'm trying to put up a fic like... Every other Saturday, whether it be for this or just a separate fic.
> 
> Writing is fun, but I just don't want to proofread, but I also don't want to post something with a lot of mistakes. See my issue?
> 
> Kudos and comments are always very much appreciated.


	6. The Triangle Becomes More Apparent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ennoshita continues to wrestle with his feelings while Tanaka wrestles with his literature homework.

   Ennoshita pulled his lunch from his locker and slammed the door

_ I’m so tired, _ he thought.   _ I shouldn’t have stayed up so late. _

   Staying up late was a habit Ennoshita had yet to break.  He had the tendency to stay up much too late, whether it was because he was finishing his homework, reading a book he couldn’t put down, or texting his friends.  Many nights he would wake up in the wee hours of the morning to find his bedside lamp on with papers spread out around him, or sitting up in bed with a book open on his lap.  He thought that when he had to change schools he might kick that habit, but, if anything, it only got worse.  

   Ennoshita wandered outside with his lunch to find a place in the courtyard to sit.  It was a surprisingly warm and sunny day and Ennoshita thought that maybe the light and fresh air would wake him up some.  He found a table and began to unpack his lunch.

   “Ennoshita!”  Upon hearing his name being called, Ennoshita looked up from his lunch.

   “Oh, hey Hashimoto.”  Ennoshita smiled as he came closer.

   “Mind if I eat with you?”

   “No, go ahead.”  Hashimoto sat down across from Ennoshita and unwrapped his lunch.

   “What do you have to eat?”  Ennoshita asked.

   “The usual, but I have mackrel today.  You?”

   “Pretty much the usual as well.  I thought you had lunch somewhere else today?”

   “I do, but I had to ask a teacher over here a question.  I figured I’d just stay here to eat and then I remembered that you ate here, too.  I’m happy I found you.”  Hashimoto gave Ennoshita a smile which made Ennoshita blush.

   “How’s volleyball going?  You like the team?”

   “It’s going well, actually.  Better than I thought.”

   “Are people nice to you?  Anyone you became good friends with?”

   “Everyone is really nice and supporting.  There is the one boy, Tanaka, who has been really nice to me.  He has a friend who’s really energetic and they seem to be super close.”

   “I think I remember meeting them.  Tanaka’s bald and his friend has the dyed fringe?”

   “That’s them.”

   “I’m happy you’re not hanging around any of the bad kids.  The volleyball team is a bunch of good guys.  You chose the right club.”

   “It did help that I played at my old school.”

   “Oh yeah, I remember you telling me that.”

   “And how’s basketball?”

   “We’re doing well.”  Hashimoto leaned over the table a little bit. “Maybe you could come watch one of our practices.  I think you’d enjoy it.”

   “I don’t know...” Ennoshita pushed his lunch around.  “School and volleyball have been keeping me pretty busy...”

   “Maybe it could be on a Friday and we could go somewhere afterwards.”  Hashimoto leaned closer to Ennoshita and smiled.  Ennoshita looked up and met his eyes, quickly looking away and blushed.

   “I’ll have to check my schedule to make sure nothing conflicts.”

   “It doesn’t have to be soon,” Hashimoto crooned.  “I wouldn’t want it to be an inconvenience for you.  Just text me when you can and we’ll make plans.”

   “I’ll try to remember.  What would you want to do?  It would be pretty late...”

   “We could see a movie.  In the theatres or at my place, whichever you would prefer...”

_ This sounds like a… no, quit thinking like that Chikara. _

__ “I don’t get to go to the theatres too often...”

   “If we decide to watch a movie, we’ll go to the theatre then,” Hashimoto said triumphantly.  “I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

   “Y-yeah...”

   “Say, are you understanding the math content?  If you need help, we could study together again.  That helped last time, yeah?”

   “That did help.  I think that I’m good for now.”

   “That’s good to hear.  Yet me know if you need help.”

   “I will.”

   Hashimoto stood up, stretching and gathering his lunch.  “I’d better start heading back to class if I don’t want to be late.”

   “Alright.  I’ll see you later, Hashimoto.”

   “Bye Ennoshita.”  

   Ennoshita watched Hashimoto leave.   _ He’s so nice, _ Ennoshita thought.   _ I’m happy I met him.  But all the stuff about hanging out… I hope he didn’t get the wrong idea when I didn’t agree right away.  I don’t want him to think I’m not… interested. _  With that, Ennoshita finished the last bites of his lunch and went back inside.

><><><

   The rest of the day was boring.  Ennoshita was still tired, but not as much as he was before lunch.  He kept thinking about the conversation he had had with Hashimoto, well, actually just Hashimoto in general.  He was so nice to Ennoshita, even on the first day he arrived.  It didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes and sometimes the deepness of his voice made Ennoshita feel warm inside.  He thought about the volleyball team.  How Daichi and Suga were so much like parents.  How the first years would bicker and pick on each other, but always played well together.  He remembered the surprise he had when he learned that Nishinoya and Asahi were together.  And there was Tanaka.  Tanaka, who Ennoshita had trouble reading.  At first Ennoshita thought that Tanaka was just an awkward guy, especially around new people, but his haircut made him seem more like a trouble maker.  He was so outgoing and confident on the court, yelling and ripping his shirt off, which Ennoshita did not mind at all.

_ But he seems nervous and awkward around me… Does that mean… No, that can't be.  I'm just me, nothing like that… _

   “Ennoshita!”  Ennoshita turned around at the sound of his name being called from the down the hallway.  There, he saw Nishinoya with Tanaka bring drug behind him.

   “Hey,” Ennoshita said, adjusting his bag and walking towards the two other boys.  “I didn't expect to see you guys.”

   “Well, we had to take a different route out of the school,” Nishinoya replied.  “Tanaka left a textbook in one of his classrooms so we needed to get it.”

   “I see...”  Ennoshita looked to Tanaka who was milling around behind Nishinoya.  “You got your textbook?”

   Tanaka looked straight at Ennoshita, eyes wide.  “Oh, uh, yeah I got it.”

   “That’s good.”

   “Say,” Nishinoya said, nudging Tanaka in the side.  “Tanaka and I were going to get something to eat.  Do you want to come with?”

   “Oh, sure.  I guess I have some time before I need to get home.”

   “Great! Asahi couldn’t join us, he has some family over and his mom wants him home.”

   “That’s too bad.  Is it a special occasion?”

   “A birthday, I think...” Nishinoya looked up to the ceiling. “I’m not good at keeping track.”

   “Me too.”  The three boys walked out of the school and to a nearby convenience store.  They each chose an ice cream treat from the freezer chest, Tanaka getting some drinks for his sister.  They then walked to a nearby parklet to enjoy their after school dessert.

   “It was nice that practice was canceled,” Nishinoya said between bites of ice cream.  “I have a project to do tonight and I think I’ll be up until midnight getting it done.”

   “You’d better work hard then,” Ennoshita replied with a smile.  “I know I have a math test in a few days.  I’ll need to study.”

   Nishinoya looked at Tanaka who had melted ice cream on his fingers.  

   “So, do you still get help with math from Hashimoto?”  Upon hearing that name, Tanaka slowed his eating and looked up to Ennoshita.

   “Uh, yeah, I do but not as often.  We moved on to a new topic and I’m better with that.”

   “That’s good to hear.  Do you two still hang out?”  Nishinoya carried the conversation though he hoped Tanaka would come in soon.

   “Not so much outside of school, but we see each other in class.  Sometimes we have lunch together.”

   “That’s nice.”  Nishinoya tried to get Tanaka to join the conversation with no avail.

   “We would hang out more but he’s busy with basketball and I’m busy with volleyball so our schedules don’t really line up.”

   “Not even on the weekend?”

   “I usually dedicate the weekend to studying.  We would study together on Saturdays, but now that we don’t need to I’ve been studying by myself.”

   That’s when Nishinoya saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.  “Are you free this Saturday?”

   “I think so...”

   “I think Tanaka could use some help with his literature.  He struggles some with reading comprehension.  Right, Tanaka?”

   Tanaka coughed a little on his ice cream then cleared his throat, looked at Nishinoya and then to Ennoshita across the table.

   “I mean… I guess some extra studying could help...”

   “Will you help him, Ennoshita?”

   “I, yeah sure.”

   “Great!”

   “I usually study at the public library.  Do you want to meet there?”

   Tanaka was silent, lost in thought.  He snapped back and agreed.

   “What time do you want to meet?  10?  We could have some lunch afterwards?”

   “That sounds fine by me.”

   “Well good!  Your grades need it, Tanaka!”  Nishinoya gave Tanaka a hard slap on the back.  “I think we should be getting home.  Thanks for hanging with us Ennoshita!”

   “It was my pleasure.”

   The boys cleaned up their food and went their separate ways.

><><><

   Saturday came and Ennoshita waited at a table in the library with his school supplies.  He had arrived early so he could get a place to sit by one of the big, bay windows the library has.  It had started to rain a few minutes after he had arrived at the library and Ennoshita was happy he had brought his umbrella.  He also hoped that Tanaka hadn’t gotten caught in the rain.

   A few moments later he saw Tanaka approaching him out of the corner of his eye, holding his wet raincoat.

   “Sorry I’m late,” Tanaka said, setting down his bookbag.  “The buses were a little delayed, probably because of the rain.”

   “That’s okay.  Is there something you want to start with?”

   “Umm...” Tanaka looked that the papers Ennoshita had spread out and the ones he had brought along with him.

   “What about the homework that’s due next class?  Do you want to do that?”

   Tanaka thought for a moment before agreeing to Ennoshita's proposition.  They sat together as they worked, Tanaka asking a few questions, Ennoshita answering thoroughly.  They worked and lightly chatted, and towards the end they just began to talk about more enjoyable topics.  Tanaka asked about Ennoshita’s old school, Ennoshita asked questions about Tanaka’s other friends.  

_    This is really nice _ , Ennoshita thought.   _ He isn’t acting awkward.  This feels… Natural. _

   They had been working for almost an hour.  Tanaka was looking over notes and trying to connect them to the passage he was reading.  Ennoshita was reading a book for a different assignment.  He had had his phone setting on the table during the study session, and it had been lifeless until how.  Ennoshita didn’t notice his phone screen light up, displaying a new message, but Tanaka did.  He had been bored with his assignment and the message on Ennoshita’s phone was far more interesting than his work.  He knew he shouldn’t peek at other people’s phones and messages, that Ennoshita’s privacy should be respected, but something inside of Tanaka needed to see who had texted him.  He slowly put down his pencil and looked to Ennoshita, who was facing slightly away from him.  Tanaka moved his head and bent forward slightly to get a better view of Ennoshita’s phone.  Just before the screen flashed off, Tanaka read a couple of the words that had been displayed.

   Hashimoto.  Ready.

   “Ennoshita,” Tanaka quietly said, returning to a normal sitting position.  “I think you may have gotten a message.”

   “Oh?”  Ennoshita put down his book and turned to pick up his phone.  “It’s probably just my mom.”

   He unlocked his phone and read the new message.

Hashimoto: _ Are you ready for the math test? _

   Ennoshita smiled and typed a short response.

E:  _ I hope so _

   “Are you understanding everything you’re doing?”  Ennoshita asked, bringing his focus away from his phone.

   “Uh, yeah, I think so?”

   Ennoshita pointed to an area of Tanaka’s paper.  “Don’t forget to use direct quotes.”

   “Oh, thanks.”  Tanaka went back to working and Ennoshita’s phone lit up again.  This time he picked it up right away.

H:  _ If you need help studying, I’m available. _

E:  _ I think I know the content pretty well.  Thanks for offering. _

H:  _ Okay.  Are you going to come to a basketball practice sometime? _

E:  _ Maybe the next time volleyball practice is canceled. _

H:  _ Is that often? _

E:  _ No _

H: :(

   Ennoshita chuckled and put his phone back down.

   “Who was that?”  Tanaka asked.

   “Hashimoto.”

   “Oh?”

   “He was asking about our math test coming up.”

   “Okay.”

   Ennoshita went back to reading and Tanaka tried and go back to writing, but now he had other things on his mind, and by other things, he meant Hashimoto.  Tanaka wasn't mad Ennoshita was making other friends, but it worried him that they seemed like more than friends.  But the fact that Ennoshita rarely talks about Hashimoto unless questioned made Tanaka think that maybe Ennoshita didn't have the same feelings.  This would allow Tanaka to more easily win Ennoshita's heart, but Hashimoto might do that first.

   “Earth to Tanaka.  Come in Tanaka.”

   Tanaka was jolted out of this thoughts when he heard Ennoshita's voice.

   “You zoned out there.  You good?”

   “Yeah, just lost in thought.”

   “I guess so.  It’s almost noon, we should get something to eat.”

   The two boys gathered up their school supplies and headed towards the library exit.

   “It’s still raining,” Tanaka commented.

   “Yeah.  I brought my umbrella.”

   “I have my coat.”

   “Well do you want to stand under the umbrella with me so your bag stays dry?”

   “Yeah, sure.”

   “We’ll find somewhere close to eat.”

   Ennoshita and Tanaka ventured out into the rain, walking close together so they could both fit under Ennoshita’s umbrella.  

   “Do you want me to hold the umbrella?”  Tanaka asked.

   “If you want to.”  Ennoshita handed the umbrella to Tanaka.

_    Does he seem tense?  _ Ennoshita thought.   _ Is he nervous?  About what?  Being in the rain?  Oh no, did I do something?  Is it me?  No, it’s not.  He’s not tense.  He’s fine.  Am I tense?  Why should I be?  Am I nervous?  Should I be?  WHY AM I THINKING LIKE THIS? _

   “Ennoshita?”  Tanaka had turned his head slightly to look at Ennoshita.

   “I’m fine!”  Ennoshita blurted out

_    Oh gosh, Chikara, what are you doing? _

   “Where do you want to eat, Ennoshita?”

   “Um, we could go to that ramen place a few blocks over?”

   “Sounds good to me.”

   The two continued to walk down the street.  It wasn’t busy, but there were a considerable number of people out despite the rain.  Due to the umbrella being on the smaller side, they had to walk close together, sometimes bumping arms.  Those interactions didn’t make them… uncomfortable, but there was a slight tension between them.  After walking a few blocks, they made it to the ramen shop and sat down.

   “It’s nice to be out of the rain,” Ennoshita commented, looking over the food options.  “I’m not too hungry, do you want to get something to share?”

   After the final syllable left Ennoshita’s lips, he knew he had made a mistake.  Tanaka’s eyes widened and his face went white then pink.

_    Oh gosh, what did I say?  How did he take that?  I don’t want him to think I’m… But… I just don’t know how I feel!  This wasn’t supposed to go this way! _

   “That’s… fine.”  Tanaka looked back at the food options.  “But I don’t want spicy today...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reread this chapter and absolutely hated it so if it's bad or dry or something, that's why. I also didn't proofread the entire thing. I would have rewritten it, but I'm lazy.
> 
> I hope you liked this part anyways. As always, kudos and comments are always much appreciated.


	7. Mutual Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleep over guys' night turns into more of a crush confession session and Tanaka finally learns more about Ennoshita's feelings.

   A few weeks passed.  Tanaka and Ennoshita studied together once or twice more, hung out a handful of times.  Tanaka continued to think about Ennoshita.  Ennoshita continued to think about Tanaka and Hashimoto.  And after hearing about everything that happened while studying, Nishinoya thought of ways to get Tanaka and Ennoshita to be closer.

   “You two should sleep together!”

   “What?  No!  I mean… not now...”

   “Sorry, that’s not what I meant.  Like, hang out and he can spend the night at your place.”

   “I don’t know….”

   “What if I’m there?”

   Tanaka paused to think about this.  “I guess that would make it less awkward.”

   “We have a break coming up, we should do it then.  Guys’ night!”

   “Sure.”

   “It can be at my place.  Neutral turf.”

   “Is Asahi going to be there?”

   “He’d better be.”

   It was settled.  There would be a get together once their break started.  Nishinoya knew that getting them all together would be good for bonding but also to see if Ennoshita had feelings similar to those of Tanaka.  Nishinoya had a few other tricks up his sleeve to get the two closer, but he knew he should play his cards wisely.  

   Their break was just a few days away and teacher were giving tests left and right.  This left little time to hang out.

   “I texted Ennoshita and he said that he can come over.  I gave him your address.”

   “Nice!”  Nishinoya gave Tanaka a high five.  “This is gonna be great!”

   “What all are we going to do?”

   “I don’t know… Watch a movie, play video games, eat, talk~”  Nishinoya wiggled his eyebrows at Tanaka.

   “What’s that supposed to mean?”

   “You’ll see!”

><><><

   The four boys sat in a huddle on the mats and blankets that were spread out on the floor.  Ennoshita was propped against some pillows, Nishinoya was sat between Asahi’s legs, and Tanaka was laying on his stomach, kicking the air with his feet.  A large bowl of popcorn was between them, half empty from the last time they refilled it.  Their eyes were glued to the movie playing on the TV, some action-adventure film Nishinoya had dug out.  The evening was going well.  Ennoshita didn’t feel awkward as he had become good friends with the three others.  Nishinoya and Asahi weren’t being too lovey-dovey, and Tanaka had something to distract his mind.

   “We’re out of popcorn.”  Nishinoya put his hand into the plastic bowl, moving the unpopped kernels around with his fingers.

   “Maybe if you hadn’t eaten so much of it we would have more.”  Tanaka and Nishinoya glared at one another, the tension breaking when Nishinoya threw some kernels at Tanaka.

   “I’ll just get more.”

   Nishinoya scrambled to his feet and retreated down the hallway to the kitchen.  Asahi paused the movie and stood stretch.  He lowered his arms and turned to Ennoshita.

   “Are you enjoying the movie?”

   “I am, yeah.  I wouldn’t normally watch a movie like this, but it’s better than I thought it would be.”

   “That’s good to hear.  What about you Tanaka?”

   Tanaka rolled onto his back to look at the other boys.  “It’s pretty good, definitely a movie Nishinoya would choose.”

   Asahi laughed and Ennoshita smiled.  

   “I’m going to use the bathroom while Nishinoya finishes in the kitchen,” Ennoshita said, getting up and heading towards the doorway.

   “We won’t start without you!”

   “Okay!”

   A moment later Nishinoya entered the room.

   “Where’s Ennoshita?”

   “He went to the bathroom.”

   “Ah.”  Nishinoya set the heaping bowl of popcorn down and resettled himself with Asahi.  “How’s it going, Tanaka?  You gonna make a move?”

   “What? I-”

   “C’mon, Nishinoya, don’t bother him like that...”

   “Aw, Asahi!  Can’t I have some fun!”

   “I don’t wanna talk about-”

   “Ennoshita!”

   He appeared in the doorway, wiping the last drops of water from his hands onto his pants.

   “That’s me.  Are we gonna finish the movie?”

   “Yeah!”  Nishinoya unpaused the movie and everyone got settled into their spots.  The movie continued, Nishinoya eating the popcorn like it was his last meal.  When it was over, all the them stood up to stretch and regain feeling in all their limbs.

   “What time is it?”  Ennoshita asked, looking for a clock.

   “Uhh...” Nishinoya pulled out his phone.  “11:34.”

   “Wow, it’s late!  We should probably start trying to sleep,” Asahi said.

   “You’re no fun!”  Nishinoya pouted.  “We can get into bed and just chill.”

   The rest of the boys agreed and they all retreated to their designated sleeping areas.  They all already had the sleeping clothes on, so they just climbed under their blankets.  Nishinoya turned off the light, leaving the room almost completely dark except, the little lights coming from Nishinoya’s game systems, a small digital clock, and a window lit the room just enough that the boys could make each other out.  Nishinoya was rambling about some movie, or video game?  Everyone was tired, but not enough to not let him continue talking.  Out of the blue, Ennoshita’s phone let out a ping.  All of the boys’ eyes turned to the table it was on.

   “Who is it?”  Nishinoya asked.

   “I don’t know, probably my mom.”

   “At midnight?”

   “I don’t know.”  Ennoshita reached up and felt around for his phone.  He unlocked it, the screen shining the light of a thousand suns into his face.  He was quick to turn the brightness down, looking into his messages.

   “Oh, it’s Hashimoto.”

   Asahi and Nishinoya looked at Tanaka and Tanaka looked at them.

   “What did he say?”  Tanaka asked, breaking eye contact with the other two.

   “Umm...”  Ennoshita squinted, then looked confused.  “Just if I’m still awake.”

   “What are you going to say?”

   “I’ll just say I am.”

   “Wait!”  Nishinoya nearly jumped up.  “We need to think strategically.”

   Everyone was confused.

   “Why?”

   “Because...”  Nishinoya tried to convey this thought with his bizarre hand gestures, which were hidden by the darkness in the room.

   “Nishinoya, we have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tanaka said dryly.

   “Well, because, you like him.”

   The boys fell dead silent.  No one spoke.  No one moved.  The tension in the room was so thick and dense you could cut it with a knife.

   “I… do not.”  They could hear Ennoshita’s voice shake ever so slightly with uncertainty.

   “C’mon, really?  No feelings?  At all?”

   Ennoshita was silent for a moment before speaking again.  “I mean, he’s my friend.  He’s been really nice to me ever since I came here…”

   Nishinoya could sense that Tanaka was now wide awake and paying full attention to the conversation at hand.  His plan was coming together wonderfully.

   “Well, I’m not love expert,” Nishinoya continued, “but that text might mean something.”

   Unseen confused looks were on everyone’s faces.

   “Where are you going with this, Nishinoya?”  Asahi asked.

   “C’mon, who texts someone at midnight to see if they’re awake?  He’s up too, and he texted Ennoshita because he was thinking about him.  That has crush written all over it.”

   “I-I don’t think so...”

   “Why?”  Nishinoya questioned.  “Why wouldn’t he like you?”

   “Because...”  Ennoshita was noticeably nervous.  “Well, I’m nothing special like he is.”

   The room fell silent once again.  It was so quiet, in fact, that you could almost hear Tanaka's heart rip in half.

   “I wouldn't say that,” Tanaka said shyly.  “I suppose there's something special about everyone and there's someone who would like whatever that may be.”

   “That what makes people like other people,” Asahi chimed in.  “And some people are more special than other.”

   “Awww, Asahi~”  Nishinoya said, dragging out each word.

   “And they look past flaws and differences,” Asahi continued.  “And some people have more to look past than others.”

   “Hey!”  Nishinoya threw a pillow at Asahi.  “Not very nice!”

   Ennoshita and Tanaka laughed.

   “We still have to text him back!”  Nishinoya scrambled over to where Ennoshita was sitting.  Asahi and Tanaka slowly followed.

   “Wow, he really did just ask if you were awake.”

   “Well, can’t I just say I am?”

   “No!”  Nishinoya stood and paced around.  “Something more...”

   “A reason?” Asahi suggested.

   “Perfect!”

   “So… Just that I’m hanging out with friends?”

   Nishinoya thought for a moment.  “But send it in two messages.”

   Tanaka leaned over Ennoshita’s shoulder and watched him type.

E: _Yeah_

E: _I’m hanging out with some friends_

   The boys watched the screen with anticipation, some more than others.

H: _Sounds nice.  What have you been up to?_

E: _We played some video games and watched a movie._

H: _Are you having fun with them?_

   “What does that mean?”  Ennoshita asked.

   “Well are you having fun?”  Tanaka asked.

   “Of course I am.  If I wasn’t, I would have left.  What do I say?”

   “Just say you are.”

   “No!”  Nishinoya jumped back.  “Say something like… ‘I would have more fun with you.’”

   “No.”  Ennoshita sounded unamused.  “I have never spoken like that and I doubt I ever will.”

   “Just say what you want to say,” Asahi said.  “It worked for me.”

E: _I am_

H: _That’s good to hear.  When you’re happy, I’m happy_

   “You still think he doesn’t like you?”  Nishinoya said knowingly.

   “Well I don’t know!  It’s not like I’ve had people saying they like me left and right!”

   Tanaka thought about what Ennoshita had just said.  Yes, Tanaka hadn’t known Ennoshita for long, but his feeling were strong.  He never thought about other people also having crushes on Ennoshita, but then again he could see why they would.  Tanaka’s feelings for Ennoshita had skewed what he thought Ennoshita thought about himself.  It was becoming clear that Ennoshita did not think as highly of himself as Tanaka did, and this made him value is characteristics less than how Tanaka valued them.  Now it looked as though Tanaka wasn’t the only one who thought of Ennoshita with ushc high regards.

   “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did have a crush on you,” Tanaka said quietly.  “You would make a good boyfriend.”

   Ennoshita furrowed his brow.  “What makes you say that?”

   “I don’t know,” Tanaka continued, “I guess the way you treat the team and other people.  He would be lucky to be with someone like you.”

   “Well, thanks Tanaka...”  Ennoshita smiled and looked back down to his phone.  “What should I say to him.”

   “Just send a smiley faced,” Nishinoya said.

E: :)

H:  _ You’re probably tired.  I’ll let you sleep.  Night _

E:  _ Good night _

   Ennoshita put his phone back down on the table where it was originally.  He turned back around and saw Nishinoya looking at him with great intent.

   “So do you like him?  You do, don’t you?”

   Ennoshita signed and looked at the ceiling.

   “I don’t know!  Sometimes I think I do, sometimes I think I don’t!  He treats me nicely and acts like I’m special in some way, but I don’t know if that’s completely true or if my thoughts are skewed by the crush I may or may not have and I don’t even know if I  _ want _ to have a crush on him!  And even if he liked me too, I’m not sure I would want anything to come out of it.  I just don’t know if I want the responsibility and commitment of being in a relationship right now…. Everything is just so confusing and it makes my brain go mushy!”

   “You sound like someone else I know.”  Nishinoya eyed Asahi.

   “Sorry I wasn’t as confident and straightforward as you were!”

   Nishinoya laughed.  “Like him or not, he likes you, big time.  And I have a feeling you have similar feelings towards him.”

   Ennoshita groaned and laid back down.

   “We’re not judging you,” Asahi said.  “Matter of fact, I’m sure we all just want you to be happy, we’ll support that.”

   “Thanks guys,”  Ennoshita said.  “Romance isn’t really my thing.  I just wasn’t sure how to deal with liking someone and having them like me back.”

   The boys retreated to their sleep spots after a few final words.  Ennoshita fell asleep right away, Asahi following shortly after.  Tanaka laid on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling.  Nishinoya turned over.

   “You good?”

   Tanaka was silent for a moment.  He took a deep breath before speaking.  “Yeah.”

   “Really?”

   “... No.  I… I didn’t wanted Ennoshita to like him… I wanted him to like me.”

   “Just because Ennoshita likes Hashimoto doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.”

   “I guess… but he probably likes him more.”

   “Tanaka-”

   “Did you not hear him?  He loved talking about him.  That Hashimoto having the same feelings was amazing and he was thrilled and nervous and errrrr.”  Tanaka put his hands on his face and gritted his teeth.  

   “He didn’t say all that.”

   “I wanted those feelings to be about me, not that ”

   Nishinoya was quiet.  “Maybe it’s because you were here.”

   Tanaka uncovered his face and looked to Nishinoya.  “What?”

   “Yeah, it was easy for him to talk about Hashimoto because he wasn’t here.  Let’s say Ennoshita does like you, if you were in his shoes, would you have just gone on about your crush that was in the room?”

   Tanaka thought for a moment.  “I guess I wouldn’t have...”

   “See?  All hope is not lost.  Go to sleep and we can talk more in the morning.”

><><><

   Morning came and Nishinoya had forgotten that Tanaka likes to sleep in.  By the time Tanaka woke up, it was quarter til noon, and both Ennoshita and Asahi had left hours ago.

   “Look who decided to wake up.”  Nishinoya poked Tanaka with his foot.  “How is Sleeping Beauty this morning?”

   Tanaka blinked and looked about the room.  “Where am I?”

   “The Nishinoya residence you idiot!  It’s almost noon!”

   “Is Ennoshita gone?”

   “Yeah, he’s been gone a while.”

   Tanaka sat up and rubbed his face.  “Why is this so hard?”

   Nishinoya knelt down, pursing his lips so not to make a joke.  He knew the gravity of the situation.  “Um, it’s gonna be okay man.”

   Tanaka looked at Nishinoya blankly.  “Wow you are a real help.”

   “C’mon!  Look, Asahi and I talked about it.  Yeah, Ennoshita likes someone else, but maybe that won’t work out.  It’s all about timing, Tanaka.”

   “But if I had acted faster, I could have avoided all of this!”

   “You know what?!”  Nishinoya balled up his fists and looked Tanaka directly in the eyes.  “I’m tired of hearing you beat yourself up about this.  ‘My fault, my fault, MY FAULT!’  Do you honestly think that acting faster would have solved this?  Huh?  Okay, let’s just say you had asked him out the SECOND you saw him and he said yes.  That wouldn’t have stopped that Hashimoto kid from liking Ennoshita, now would it have?  And maybe, just maybe, Ennoshita would have stopped going out with you after he realized he had feelings for him that were stronger than those for you.  And would you have had any chance them.  Would you?!”

   Tanaka lowered his eyes.  “... No.”

   “But did that happen?”

   “No.”

   “See?  Just be patient and don’t let this get to your head.”

   “That’s hard.”

   “I know.  Just… don’t do anything stupid.”  Nishinoya began to walk away.  “Get your stuff together, we have some family coming over.”

   “Hey Nishinoya?”

   “Yeah?”

   “Thanks.”

   “Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay chapter 7!
> 
> I did a half-assed job of proofreading so sorry for the errors.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always much appreciated.


	8. The Distance Grows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka's feelings for Ennoshita grow each day, bigger and stronger. It's harder to keep them all inside. Will a single date finally be what puts this all to rest?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, I literally just realized that ch 7 got cut off?????  
> So I guess go finish that one??????  
> There's like two more pages  
> Yeah, my bad. Two months that was up and it just stopped at "Just send a smiley face"  
> It was the emoticon that got put it. It much have been replaced bc I may have typed that on my phone  
> oops

   The days to follow were hard.  Tanaka watched Ennoshita with a growing yearning inside of him, knowing that his ability to reach Ennoshita was slowly dwindling away.  Everyday seemed to be more of a battle.  He saw how Ennoshita and Hashimoto interacted, knowing their feelings for the other were mutual.  They were so happy when they were together.  Ennoshita smiled so much and so brightly.  Tanaka wanted that.  He wanted it so badly, but it was out of his reach.

   “Just stop thinking about it so much,” Nishinoya said, trying to comfort Tanaka one day after school.  “Things will get better.”

   “You make it sound so easy,” Tanaka said, looking off at the horizon.  “It’s not.”

   Nishinoya could only imagine what Tanaka was feeling.  Seeing someone you had such strong feelings for be swept away by someone else must be heart wrenching, especially for a guy like Tanaka.  They continued to sit together, in silence, watching the cars and bicycles go by.  It was quiet.

   “Just because he doesn't have a crush on you doesn't mean you two can't be friends.”

   “I know.”

   Tanaka was still subdued.  Nishinoya only worried more.  He hated seeing his friend be in such pain, knowing he could do next to nothing to help.  Nishinoya knew anything he said would float away in Tanaka’s mind.  All they could do was wait.

   “Tanaka!  Nishinoya!”  Both boys turned their heads to see someone jogging towards them.

   “H-hey Ennoshita,” Nishinoya said, a little surprised.  “What are you up to?”

   “Not much.  I had to meet with a teacher and I remembered you two would sometimes hang out here after school ended and I thought I would say hi.”

   “Well, it’s nice to see you.”

   “Oh, Tanaka, I have something for you.”  Tanaka whipped his head around, his eyes widening, watching Ennoshita rummage through his bag.  After a few seconds, Ennoshita produced a smaller bag.

   “Here, have these.”  Ennoshita handed Tanaka the bag.  “It’s some melonpan.  My mom and I made some yesterday and I remembered it was your favorite so I made a little extra.  I thought you would like some.”

   Tanaka looked at the bag then up to Ennoshita.  He smiled.  “T-thanks!”

   “No problem!  I would stay longer but I have work to do.  You know, tests, projects.  I’ll see you guys at practice?”

   “Yeah, we’ll see you then,” Nishinoya said.

   “Enjoy the melonpan, Tanaka.”

   “I know I will.”

   Ennoshita waved as he jogged away from Nishinoya and Tanaka.  They watched him as he went, hair fluttering with each step he took.  Tanaka looked back down to the melonpan and took some out of the bag and bit into it.  A broad smile crept onto his face.

   “It’s really good!”

   “Give me some!”  Nishinoya reached over and ripped a piece away from Tanaka’s bun.

   “Hey!  He made these for me!”  Tanaka said playfully, then looked down at the bun more thoughtfully.  “For me…”

   “Yeah man!  He made it for you!  Or he brought you some… You can’t give him up even if it’s just as a friend.  He loves being your friend!”  Nishinoya snuck another piece of bread.  “And he brings you food so…”

   Tanaka smiled shyly.  “Did you see they way he smiled?  At me?  He’s so kind...”

   “See?  He’s a good guy.”

   Tanaka continued eating his melonpan.  It was the best he had eaten his entire life.

><><><

   “Is everything alright with Tanaka?”  Suga asked Nishinoya near the end of practice.

   “He’s…”  The two boys looked over at Tanaka who was drinking his water.  “I’ll tell you later.”

   Suga nodded and the team cleaned up from practice.  Ennoshita spoke to Tanaka a handful of times, and each time Tanaka was respectful and kind.  How could he be mean to someone like Ennoshita?  Someone who had only ever shown him kindness and happiness.  Someone who never hurt Tanaka, at least meaningly.  Yes, it was hard for Tanaka not to just grab Ennoshita by the shoulders and tell him that he likes him, that he never stops thinking about him, that seeing him with Hashimoto breaks his heart, but Tanaka knew he couldn’t do that.  It wouldn’t help anything, matter of fact, it would probably just make the situation worse.

   “Hey, Tanaka, how’s the literature stuff coming along?  If you need to, we can study together again?  This chapter is kinda confusing...”  Ennoshita spoke to Tanaka after they had changed clothes, still hanging around in the locker room.

   “Um,” Tanaka looked at Nishinoya who gave him a smile and a nod.  “I guess that would be good.  I’d need to see when I’m free though.”

   “Cool!  Just text me when you can!  I’m not up to much, so I’m sure any day that’s good for you would be good for me.”  Ennoshita smiled and waved good bye as he left the locker room, Tanaka watching him leave.

   “See?  Things don’t have to be awkward,” Nishinoya comforted as Tanaka hung his head.

   “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

   “And you enjoy studying with him.  You actually get stuff done.”

   Tanaka smiled.  “That’s not a lie.  My homework has been easier to do with him to ask questions to.”

   Tanaka lifted him bags and said goodbye to Nishinoya and left the locker room.  Nishinoya followed soon after.

   “So what’s the story?”  Nishinoya turned to see Suga leaning against the wall outside.

   Nishinoya took a deep breath.  “You really want to hear it?”

   “Absolutely.”

   “Okay.  Remember when I told you that Tanaka has a crush on Ennoshita?”

   “He doesn’t anymore?”

   “No, he does, but there’s someone else.”

   “Two crushes?!  Who is it?”

   “No, someone else likes Ennoshita.”

   “Oh dear.”

   “Exactly.”

   “Who is it?”

   “That Hashimoto kid that’s on the basketball team.  He likes Ennoshita, like we think a lot.  And Ennoshita likes him back we also think a lot, but not as much as the other way around.”

   “Does Ennoshita know that Tanaka likes him?”

   “No.  We got Ennoshita to spill the beans that he likes Hashimoto, but nothing about Tanaka.  Tanaka hasn’t told him and Hashimoto is moving in fast on Ennoshita.”

   “And Tanaka feels helpless because Hashimoto and Ennoshita like each other and he can’t get in on that?”

   “Yeah.”

   “Why doesn’t Tanaka just tell him?”

   Nishinoya paused.  “Tanaka really, _really_ likes Ennoshita, and I think he’s afraid that if he confesses it’s gonna ruin their friendship and he’ll have no chance whatsoever to get with Ennoshita and he wants Ennoshita to be happy.”

   “Wow.”  Suga looked off into the night.  “I did not expect that.”

   “Yeah, it’s bad.”

   “It’s quite a love triangle.”

   “Quite.”

   The two of them stood in silence for a moment.  “Ennoshita is a good kid.”

   “That’s why Tanaka likes him.  He thinks he’s an angel.”

   Suga was quiet again.

   “How are you and Asahi?”

   “Fine.  He’s been trying to help Tanaka some, but he’s usually just there for backup.”

   “You’re a good friend, Nishinoya.  You’re always good to Tanaka.”

   “Thanks.”

   “We’d better get home.”

   “Yeah.”

   With that the boys parted ways, each thinking about the conversation they had just had.  Each wanted the very best for both Tanaka and Ennoshita.

><><><

   Tanaka sat at home trying to decipher his math homework.  He was racking his brain trying to remember how his teacher told him to do the problems.  As he was about to give up, his phone chimed.  He set down in pencil and looked at the screen

   A message from Ennoshita.

E: _Did you figure out what days you're available?_

T: _Saturday is good for me_

E: _Sweet!  Do you want to go to the library?  Same spot by the windows?  We can get food afterwards again if you want to.  Ramen or something else._

T: _Id be okay with that_

E: _It’s set then!  Same time?_

T: _Same time_

E: _Cool_

   Tanaka was about to set his phone back down when it chimed again

E: _So what are you up to?_

  Tanaka was shocked.  Ennoshita was starting an actual conversation with him?  Could this mean…?

T: _Not much.  Im trying to do math_

E: _Eww sorry to hear that_

T: _I know.  Id rather get my fingernails ripped out_

E: _I feel you.  I think math was created just to make kids cry_

T: _What about you?_

E: _History.  We have a test soon._

T: _Are you good at history?_

E: _Everything except dates.  I can tell you every detail about every war leader but ask me when they were alive and you’re out of luck_

T: _I feel.  I can never remember the names_

E: _Sounds like we’re opposites_

T: _I guess so_

   _Opposites…_ Tanaka thought.   _Are we opposites?_

E: _Did you like the melonpan?_

T: _Hell yeah!  It was the best!_

_I shouldn’t have said ‘hell.’_

E: _Hahaha yeah, my mom makes it pretty damn well_

T: _Tell her I say thank you!!!!_

E: _Haha I will_

   Tanaka smiled at his phone.  He liked talking to Ennoshita.  It made him feel happy and content.  It felt natural.

E: _OMG my cat in sleeping on my lap.  I can feel her breathing_

T: _You have a cat?!?_

E: _Yeah!  Her name is Tiger Lily.  She’s all black and orange_

T: _She sounds cute_

   After a moment, Tanaka received a picture from Ennoshita.  It was of his cat, a long haired orange and black calico, curled up on his lap, its eyes closed.  Tanaka could also see Ennoshita’s miss matched socks and bare calves.  One of his hands was petting the cat.

T: _Omg she is cute!_

E: _I know!  And she’s so soft!_

T: _I bet_

   Tanaka set his phone down and looked up at his ceiling.  He smiled, but it soon faded from his face.  He looked at the glow in the dark stars that had stuck to his ceiling since he was a baby.  He wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t sad.  Being friends with Ennoshita was amazing and having lighthearted conversations with him was the highlight of Tanaka’s day.  But he knew there would always be distance between them.  Tanaka could almost accept that.  But there was always something holding him back, reminding him that he would never reach his goal.  Ennoshita would forever be out of his reach.

   Tanaka gathered his homework into a pile and put his pajama pants on.  He turned off his lights and climbed in bed.  He looked at his phone one last time before silencing it.

T: _I like you, Ennoshita.  I like you a lot._

   He never pushed send.

><><><

   The next day was chilly.  Tanaka sat in class and watched some students hanging out in the courtyard before class started.  He recognized some of them.

   “Good morning, Tanaka.”  Ennoshita walked to his seat and put his bags down.  The apples of his cheeks and his nose were flushed slightly pink from the chilly breeze.

    _C-cute,_ Tanaka thought as Ennoshita settled down.

   “Are you ready for the quiz?”  Ennoshita asked.

   Shit, _I completely forgot,_ Tanaka thought

   “Yeah, I think so.  You?”

   “Definitely.  I did some studying last night so I’m confident I’ll do well.”

    _Why are you so cute?  And smart… And responsible…_

   The bell rang and class began only a few minutes later.  The quiz was a little difficult for Tanaka, but Ennoshita got through it no sweat.

    _I should have studied with him earlier,_ Tanaka thought, still looking at his quiz.   _This would be so much easier…_

   After a while, Tanaka got through the quiz and was able to relax.  Ennoshita remained quiet in front of him, writing something in his notebook.  Class ended and Ennoshita and Tanaka chatted a little before parting ways to go to their next class.

   The rest of the day was uneventful.  Tanaka ate lunch with Nishinoya and Ennoshita, the three of them sharing some laughs.  Tanaka still couldn’t get the thoughts of losing Ennoshita out of his head, even though he knew they were friends.  Just being friends was fine.  It was great, in fact.  Things weren’t awkward or unnatural.  Tanaka and Ennoshita got along really well and Tanaka highly valued their friendship.  He valued Ennoshita.  Even if they never became involved in a romantic relationship, Tanaka didn’t want to lose Ennoshita in any way.  He always needed to be there in one way, shape, or form.

   Practice rolled around.  Again, nothing special happened.  They practiced with an assortment of drills and mock games.  There was time every now and then to mess about some, but Ukai tried to get the boys to stay on track due to his focus on the competitions coming up, even though they weren’t for a while.  He was always to concerned about matches.

   “Good work today, boys,” Ukai said at the end of practice.  “I’m happy to see that everyone is making improvements.  Just remember, when we get closer to competition time, we will need to crack down more so be sure not to get off task.  Focus is key.”

   The team shouted an affirmative response before heading to the locker room to change out of their practice clothes.  Ennoshita talked with Tanaka as they changed their clothes.

   “Are we still on for Saturday?”  Ennoshita asked as he pulled his shirt on.

   “As long as you’re still available,” Tanaka responded.

   Ennoshita smiled before turning back to look into his locker.  He picked up his phone and responded to a text.

    _Who’s he texting?_ Tanaka thought, trying to look over to see if he could see the small screen.

   “Tanaka.”  Nishinoya whispered.  “Mind your own business.”

   Tanaka mouthed a sorry before returning to getting his clothes changed and packing up his belongings.  When he was done, he noticed that Ennoshita was nearly ready to go, but he was still tapping away at his phone.

   “Ready to go, Ennoshita?”

   “I will be in a second.  Go ahead out without me.”

   “Alright.”  Tanaka walked out of the locker room and waited outside with Nishinoya and Asahi.  

   “You guys can go out, I’ll wait for Ennoshita.  I kinda want to talk to him by myself.”

   “If you’re sure,”  Nishinoya said as he and Asahi turned to head home.  Tanaka only had to wait a few more minutes for Ennoshita to come outside.

   “Tanaka!”  Tanaka turned when he heard Ennoshita yell his name.  Ennoshita was jogging, holding his phone, a huge smile spread across his face.  “Tanaka!  You won’t believe this!”

   “What?  What happened?”

   “He asked!”

   “Who?  Asked what?”

   “Hashimoto!”

   “What did he ask?”

   “He asked me out Tanaka!  Like on a real date!  Isn't it exciting!”

   Tanaka’s heart stopped.  All sound faded.  All Tanaka could see was Ennoshita’s smiling face.  Time seemed to stand still for just a second as Tanaka processed what Ennoshita just said.

   Hashimoto just asked Ennoshita out on a date.

   Ennoshita was happy.

   Excited.

   Overjoyed.

   Ennoshita looked at his phone and then to Tanaka with eager eyes.  “Tanaka, what should I say?  Just yes?”

    _No, you should say ‘no you piece of scum.  I’m going to date Tanaka because he’s three times the man you are and he will treat me better that you ever would.’_

_No, say no.  He doesn’t deserve you.  No one deserves you.  But I want you, Ennoshita, even if you’re too perfect for a plain guy like me._

   “D-do you want to?”

    _Please say no please so no please say no…_

   “I guess I do… Oh Tanaka!  I can’t believe it!  He asked me out!  Isn’t that great?!”

   “Y-yeah… it’s great.”

   Ennoshita beamed as responded to Hashimoto’s text.  Tanaka didn’t know quite what he was feeling at the moment, but he felt like someone had punched him in the gut and knocked the wind out of him.  He felt empty and suddenly very small.

   And seeing Ennoshita smile no longer made him feel warm and fuzzy.

   It just made him hurt more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, low-key forgot about this fic? IDK, i was writing others too.  
> But hey, now it's updated, and with school being out I will hopefully be able to give this and other fics more attentions.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always much appreciated.


	9. Ennoshita's House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much to Tanaka's dismay, Ennoshita does go on his date and has an enjoyable time. However, when Tanaka goes to Ennoshita's house to work on a project, some feelings are uncovered they may put Tanaka at an advantage, or maybe he's just over-analyzing the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient for this chapter. I had a bit of a block and my other fics seemed more appealing for the month of July.  
> I also low-key never really edited this so there's mistakes. Maybe I'll fix those later.

   Tanaka rested his cheek on one of his hands as he watched Ennoshita flip through a textbook.  The library was barren.  It was easy for them to find a large table near one of the windows that looked over the busy street below.  The weather was great, the sun shining brightly with a few billowing clouds rolling across the sky.

   “Do you need something, Tanaka?”  Ennoshita looked up from the book and met Tanaka’s eyes.

   “Uh, I-” Tanaka quickly went back to writing in his notebook.  “Just thinking.”

   “Alright.”  Ennoshita went back to the book.  “Let me know if you have a question.”

   They sat like that for some time.  Ennoshita took notes on whatever he was studying.  Tanaka tried to get through his homework, but his mind always wandered off.  Sometimes Ennoshita would stand up and go deep into the library, always coming back with a different book.  The entire time Ennoshita’s phone sat silently on top of the table.  The ominous dark screen displayed nothing but the reflection of lights overhead.  Each time Ennoshita left, Tanaka stared at it, as if he was willing something to flash onto the screen.  But nothing ever showed.  Ennoshita never even checked it to see if any messages or notifications had gone off while he was gone.

   “How’s the math going?”  Ennoshita asked when he returned with another book.

   “Pretty well.  I just have to keep these formulas straight.”  Tanaka tapped his paper with his pencil, showing the formulas and equations.

   “Ah.  I was never good at those.  I’d forget when to square what numbers, or which to plug in.”  Ennoshita chuckled before returning to his book.  He seemed more subdued today.  He was quieter while studying, and didn’t smile as much as he did most days.

   “Are you feeling okay, Ennoshita?”  Tanaka asked, crooking his neck to see Ennoshita’s face.

   “Yeah, just a little tired.  I stayed up too late.”  Ennoshita looked at Tanaka and rested his chin on his fist.  He smiled and stared at Tanaka with half-lidded eyes.  “You?”

   “I’m going alright.  Tired too.”

   “Stay up too late?”

   “Uh… yeah.  And I haven’t been sleeping well.”

   “That’s no good.”  Ennoshita went back to his notes.  “Maybe you should light a candle before you go to bed.  That helps me sleep.”

   “Maybe…”  As they both started to get back to work, Ennoshita’s phone lit up.  He didn’t notice, but Tanaka did.

   “Hey, I think you got a message.”

   “Oh?”  Ennoshita reached over and unlocked his phone, typing a response shortly after.

   “Your mom?”

   “Hashimoto.”

   “What did he have to say?”

   “He said that some stuff came up and if we could push our date back a few hours.”

   “Oh.”  Tanaka glanced around, tapping his pencil on the table.  “Where are you guys going?”

   “We might go see a movie.  We didn’t make definite plans.”

   “Okay.”  Ennoshita seemed unphased by the questions Tanaka was asking.  “Are you excited for the date?”

   Ennoshita looked up with a pleasant smile on his face.  “I would say I am.  I haven’t gone on a real date like this before.  It should be fun.”

   Tanaka nodded.  Something about how Ennoshita said those words didn’t make him angry.  He wasn’t upset that Ennoshita was excited to go out.  At that moment, Tanaka was worried.  About what, he didn’t know.

   “Do you…”  Tanaka paused for a moment as Ennoshita looked up.  “Do you want to go out with him?”

   Ennoshita furrowed his brow.  “What do you mean?”

   “I mean, you’re not just going out with him to be polite?  You actually like him?”

   “Yeah, I do.  He’s really sweet and kind to me, not to mention he’s handsome.”

   “O-okay.”

   For another moment they sat silently together.  Ennoshita went back to reading.  Tanaka watched Ennoshita read as he tapped his pencil on his notes.  Tap tap tap.  It may have been Tanaka’s imagination, but it appeared that Ennoshita was making a great effort not to look up at Tanaka.  He ignored his taps with great concentration.  His eyes were glued to the page.

   “It’s cool that Hashimoto liked you back,” Tanaka said as he leaned back in his chair.

   “It is.”  Ennoshita continued looking at the book.

   “That doesn’t seem to happen often.”

   “I suppose it doesn’t.”

    _C’mon Ennoshita, give me something to work with._

   “Do you think you two will start going out regularly?”

   “I…”  Ennoshita glanced up then back up at the book.  “Maybe.”

   “It’s been awhile since I’ve gone out with someone.”

   “Oh?”

   “Yeah.  I guess I’m not a date kinda guy.”

   “Mmmm.”  It was obvious Ennoshita was not fully paying attention to Tanaka.  He was more interested in the book in front of him.

   “Well,” Tanaka leaned back in his chair.  “It sounds like you’ll have a nice time.”

   “Yeah.”

   This scene felt all too familiar.  They had studied together a while ago and talked about Hashimoto, but now Ennoshita was going on a date with him.  Tanaka wasn’t sad, he just felt lifeless.  But Ennoshita seemed more mellow.  He was never the most energetic person, but something seemed off.  A few days ago, he was practically jumping with joy when he told Tanaka he had a date, but now he seemed almost uninterested in the topic.  How could his mood have changed so quickly?  Why was Ennoshita so hard to figure out?  Why wouldn’t he look up?  Did all of this mean something?  Tanaka had many questions, but no answers.

><><><

   Tanaka laid face down on Nishinoya’s couch.  He mumbled and groaned, all of which being muffled by the cushions.  Nishinoya tried to decipher what Tanaka was saying, but, even with all his effort, it was nearly impossible.

   “I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Nishinoya said, trying to comfort Tanaka.

   Tanaka lifted his head and looked at Nishinoya.  “They’re going on a date!  Probably right now!  It’s late enough in the evening…”

   Tanaka pushed himself up to a sitting position.  “That bastard’s probably sticking his forked tongue down Ennoshita’s throat…”

   “I doubt he’s doing that.”  Nishinoya knew Tanaka was upset, but he was impressed with the wording Tanaka chose to use.

   “I know!  That’s the worst part!”  Tanaka fell onto his back.  “He’s super nice!”

   “What?”  Nishinoya was taken aback.

   “He’s so nice!  He’s kind and considerate and polite.  He’s a gentleman!  How am I supposed to compete with that?”

   “You think he had good qualities?”

   “He’s all good qualities!  He’s flawless!  His looks are amazing and his personality is outstanding!  Who wouldn’t want to date him!?”

   Nishinoya tried to fully take in what Tanaka was saying.  This guy, who only moments before was Tanaka’s rival, was suddenly getting compliment after compliment from Tanaka.  What was the world coming to?

   “Just look at him!”  Tanaka raised his arms in the air for effect.  “He came straight from heaven!  And here I am… Ennoshita probably thought I was some sort of goon when we first met.  Of course he went for the hot basketball player instead of some trouble-making drug-dealing shaved-head thug.”

   “Whoa, dude, it’s not like that, you’re not like that.”

   “Really?”  Tanaka looked at Nishinoya with a sort of anger, but also defeat.  “You really think I’m not like that?  Put me in a line up with the other two and I’m the one who looks like a criminal.  I should have known that Ennoshita was too good for me.  He’s amazing and perfect.  I’m… Just look at me!  Who would want to date _this?_ ”  He gestured to himself.

   “C’mon, where’s the Tanaka I know?”  Nishinoya put his hand on Tanaka’s back.  “Where’s the confident, charismatic guy that isn’t afraid to put himself out there?”

   “He’s Hashi-fucking-moto.”  Tanaka buried his face in his hands and sighed.  Nishinoya said nothing.  This was a lot more that Nishinoya could handle.  Tanaka was an absolute mess.  No one had ever made Tanaka fall into such a state, or at least for this length of time.  Nishinoya thought that Tanaka would quickly recover, moving onto someone else in a few months, but here he was clinging to Ennoshita for dear life.

   Tanaka’s phone buzzed and he reached over to view what was on the screen.

   “Come on!”  Tanaka sunk his head again and showed his phone to Nishinoya.  There was a picture on it, posted to SnapChat by Ennoshita.  It was of him and Hashimoto eating some sort of saucy dish in an outdoor eating area.  Hashimoto was obviously the one taken the candid photo, as his face was only half in the shot.  Ennoshita was smiling and not ready for the photo, but he still looked good.

   “Just take a deep breath, dude.”  Nishinoya tried to comfort Tanaka.  “It will be alright.”

   “I know, I just can’t stand them together.  Maybe it would be better if Ennoshita was miserable, but he’s so happy and…”  Nishinoya saw a small tear run down Tanaka’s cheek.

   “Everything will be alright, man.”  Nishinoya leaned on Tanaka and rubbed his back.  “Everything will be alright.”

><><><

   School was difficult for the next few weeks.  It was hard for Tanaka to pay attention, especially when he was sitting next to Ennoshita.  He couldn’t help but sneak a look every now and then.  That perfect hair, flawless skin, peaceful eyes.  It was Ennoshita that Tanaka found himself sketching in his notebooks.  Along with the usual flowers and animals, Ennoshita’s profile would get woven in.

   “You’re quite the artist.”  Ennoshita’s voice broke the trance that Tanaka was in.  His eye’s shot up to meet a pair of sleepy, doe-like ones.

   “Yeah…”  Tanaka glanced back down at his doodles and was relieved when he saw that he had not drawn Ennoshita today.

   “Are those lilies?”  Ennoshita pointed to a flower that was spread out on the corner of the page.

   “Yeah.”  Tanaka felt a little embarrassed.  Ennoshita probably thought it was weird that he was drawing flowers and stars.

   “I like lilies.  Especially the multi-tones ones.”  Ennoshita’s smile was gentle and looked as though he was a little embarrassed.

   “I didn’t know you like flowers so much.”

   Ennoshita laughed a little.  “My mom likes flowers.  She grows a bunch on our porch, or at least she tries.”

   Tanaka smiled back at Ennoshita.  “I’m sure they’re really pretty in season.”

   “They are.”  Ennoshita twiddled his fingers a little bit.  “Have you thought about our project at all?”

   Tanaka paused.  He had completely forgotten about it.  What was the criteria?  When was it due?

   “No, not really,” Tanaka admitted.  “Have you?”

   “I have a little.  Do you want to come over tomorrow and we can work on it?”

   Tanaka was a little shocked.  Usually, they hung out at the library.  “At your place?”

   “Yeah!  I’m pretty sure I have the supplies we’ll need.  It would be easier than trying to drag it to the library.”

   “I’d be okay with that.”  Tanaka did his best to contain his joy, just letting a smile onto his face.

   “Okay!  I’ll text you later with my address and we’ll figure out a time.”  Ennoshita smiled and took a few steps to leave.  “I would talk more but I promised Hashimoto that I’d meet him before class.”

   “Okay.  See you at practice!”

   Ennoshita waved and slipped out the door.  Tanaka continued to smile and got his bag and started to head to his next class.

   “What happened in there?”  Nishinoya asked.  He had been waiting outside the classroom for Tanaka to finish.

   “Oh, I’m going to Ennoshita’s house tomorrow to work on our project.”

   Tanaka’s smile and the new pep in his step did not go unnoticed by Nishinoya.  “Really?”

   “Yeah…”  Tanaka’s giddiness became more subdued but did not disappear.  “I have to remember it’s not a date.”

   “Okay, not a date, but it will still be fun to hang with Ennoshita, just the two of you.  You haven’t done that in a while.”

   “Yeah, it should be good.”  Tanaka was happy he would be spending time with Ennoshita, but he had to remember Ennoshita had Hashimoto.  It wasn’t a date.  It wasn’t romantic.

><><><

   The next evening, Tanaka managed to find Ennoshita’s apartment.  Saako drove him to the complex and promised to be back in a few hours.  Tanaka stood nervously with his backpack in front of the door.  He took a breath and tried to calm down.

    _It’s just a project,_ he told himself.   _You have nothing to worry about._

   Tanaka took a step forward and knocked at the door.  There was a moment of silence, then a shuffling from inside and the sound of the door being unlocked.  Tanaka straightened his back, ready to greet Ennoshita.  But Ennoshita didn’t answer the door.  Instead, a petite woman peeked her head around and smiled at Tanaka.

   “Oh!  You must be Chika’s friend!  Come in, come in!”  She opened the door wider and gestured for Tanaka to step inside.  She was quite a bit shorter than he was, maybe around Hinata’s height.  She had on dark blue overalls and a green shirt, her long, black hair braided down her back.  She smiled brightly, wearing cherry red lipstick and dark eyeshadow.  Tanaka thought he noticed a tattoo peeking out from under the collar of her shirt.

   “Chika!”  She turned and called down the hallway.  “Your friend is here!”

    _Chika…_ Tanaka thought.   _That’s cute._

   “And what was your name again?  I have such a bad memory?”

   “Uh, Tanaka Ryuunosuke.”

   The woman, who Tanaka figure was Ennoshita’s mother, smiled again.  “Such a lovely name.”

   Tanaka looked up when he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes, expecting to see Ennoshita coming down the hallway.  Instead, another woman appear.  She was tall and thin, wearing a floral dress with a matching pin in her short hair.

   “Is this Ryuu?”  The new woman asked.

   “Yes!  Isn’t he handsome.”

   The tall woman approached Tanaka.

   “I hope you don’t mind us using giving names.  It makes things easier for us around here.”

   “No, no, it’s fine.”  Tanaka was starting to feel overwhelmed.  Then he heard Ennoshita’s voice.

   “Mei!  Aiko!  Quit harassing Ryuu!”  Ennoshita had an annoyed yet playful look on his face.

   “Sorry Chika, we just got excited.”  The taller woman took a step back.

   Ennoshita approached Tanaka and smiled.  “Sorry about the lack of introductions.  These are my moms.  Mei,” he gestured to the small woman, “and Aiko,” he gestured to the tall woman.  They smiled.  Tanaka furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

   “Your… moms?”

   “Yeah, I have two.  I call them by their given names so not to confuse, so it gets pushed to other people.  We’re not trying to be rude.  You can call me Chikara, it’s fine, really.”

   Tanaka nodded.  “Okay, it just… didn’t know you had… two moms.”

   “Most people don’t.  Here, take your shoes off and we can get started on our project.”

   Tanaka removed his shoes and jacket and made his way out of the entry way.  Ennoshita’s apartment was clean and simple.  The furniture was neatly arranged and a vase of flowers sat on the coffee table.  There were photographs of Ennoshita as a little kid on the walls, all outlined in detailed frames.

   “We can work in the sitting room,” Ennoshita called from the hallway where he was getting supplies.

   “Okay.”  Tanaka sat down on the sofa.  It was sofa and cream colored.  Everything in that room was some shade of cream, or was made of cherry wood.

   “Is there anything you would like, dear?”  One of Ennoshita’s moms appeared in the doorway.

   “Um, no thank, Miss…”  Tanaka racked his brain trying to remember which mom she was.

   “Aiko.”  She smiled at Tanaka.  “But if you change your mind, just call.”

   “Aiko!”  Ennoshita appeared with his computer and some notebooks.  “You don’t need to be a helicopter parent.”

   “Sorry, sorry…  I’ll be in the kitchen, okay?”  Ennoshita waved his mother off and began to work.

   “Here’s the internet password.”  Ennoshita handed Tanaka a slip of paper.  “I figured we could work on the essay before we do the presentation.  It will take longer and we’ll know how to format the information.”

   “Alright.”  Tanaka opened his computer and brought up the document.

   “Did you take some notes?”

   Tanaka flicked through a notebook and got to a page that was filled with his writing.  “Right here.”

   “Nice.  So I was thinking…”  Ennoshita went on and explained how he thought the paper could be layed out.  They typed, shared notes, and bouncing ideas off of each other, eventually getting a pretty meaty first draft of the essay done.  It was all about some ancient Japanese writer and how he helped to craft the language into what it is not.  Tanaka thought it was boring, but Ennoshita seemed to be genuinely interested.  That made the project more enjoyable.  If the teacher had made them do this on their own, Tanaka would be wallowing in confusion and boredom.  But he had Ennoshita, so it was alright.

   After a few hours, Ennoshita’s cat wandered into the room and crawled onto Ennoshita’s lap.

   “Hey girl!”  Ennoshita scratched behind the cat’s ears and she purred.  “You remember Tiger Lily, yeah?”

   “Of course I do.”  Tanaka gentle stroked the cat’s head and it purred, pressing its head into Tanaka’s palm.  “She’s really soft.”

   “She likes you, too.  Don’t you, Tiger?”  Ennoshita smiled and the cat continued to purr.  He turned to Tanaka.  “Do you want something to eat?”

   Tanaka looked at the clock.  It was about time for an evening meal.  “Sure.  What do you have?”

   “Well…”  Ennoshita lifted Tiger Lily off his lap and set her on the floor.  She meowed and followed Ennoshita and Tanaka out into the kitchen.  “We could have leftovers, or if you want to get a pizza we can.  There’s a little place a few minutes away.  It wouldn’t take very long to get it delivered.”

   “I guess that would be alright.”

   Suddenly, Aiko appeared out of nowhere.  “Are you two getting something to eat?  I’ll order the pizza and you go back to work.  Here.”  She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container of melonpan.  “Have some of these until it arrives.  You like melonpan, right Ryuu?”

   Tanaka’s eyes sparkled.  “Yes!  Thank you!”  He eagerly took some buns.

   “Now get back to work, boys,” Aiko said as she shooed them out of the kitchen.  “I want that project looking perfect!”

   Ennoshita wandering back out to the sitting room and sat back down on the couch.  Tiger Lily jumped back onto Ennoshita’s lap, meowing and pawing at Ennoshita’s arm until she got some more attention.

   “Sorry about Aiko,”  Ennoshita said.  “She usually not like that.”

   “Oh, no, it’s fine!”  Tanaka spoke between bites of melonpan.

   “That good.”  Tiger Lily meowed loudly and kneaded her paws into Ennoshita’s thigh.  “What’s wrong, Tiger?  Why are you go noisy?”

   Tanaka watched as Ennoshita lifted Tiger Lily up and looked at her in the eyes.  Ennoshita looked cute with his cat.  He must really love her.

   “So how long have you had Tiger Lily?”

   “Seven years.  I got her when she was just a kitten.”

   “I didn’t know cats lived that long?”

   “She’s a Norwegian Forest.  She should like another six or seven years.”  Ennoshita put a kiss on Tiger Lily’s head.  “She’s my baby.”

   Tanaka licked his fingers and continued to watch Ennoshita.  He wanted to ask some questions, be he was afraid they were too personal.

   “So, what made you move here?”

   “Mei got a new job,” Ennoshita said nonchalantly.  “She got a promotion and figured it would be best if we all moved.”

   Tanaka cleared his throat.  “So, uh, why do you have two moms?”

   Ennoshita looked at Tanaka, a little confused.

   “I’m not trying to be rude or anything!  I just- I’m not exactly- It’s just-”

   “Oh!”  Ennoshita laughed.  “Sorry, I thought I had already told you!  My dad died when I was really little so I don’t remember him much.  Mei is my biological mom, and she married Akio when I was six.  So I’ve had two moms ever since.”

   “Do you mind it?”

   “No, but I know it’s hard for them sometimes, with all the negativity and such.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard that I needed a male presence in my life, I would be a ight man.  Anyways, it took me a while to understand why my mom had married another woman, and why I had to start calling them by their given names, but at least I knew they would be supportive when I came out as gay.”  Ennoshita chuckled.

   “Do they ever talk about your dad?”

   “Oh yeah, we have a picture of him.”  Ennoshita gestured to the picture of a man and a baby on the wall.  “Aiko understands that it was hard for Mei when my dad died and she really loved him.  But I could tell that once they got married, Mei got a lot happier.  It was rough those first years.”

   “Wow, that’s really nice.  I didn’t mean to pry, I was just curious.”

   “Don’t worry.  Hashimoto asked the same questions, except he thought I was adopted.  Most people do.”

   Then Aiko came in with the pizzas.

   “I thought you two would be working!”  She put her hands on her hips.

   “We’re just taking a break.  You wouldn’t want us working too hard, right?”  Ennoshita batted his eyelashes at her.

   “Oh you’re just too much.”  Aiko put a kiss on Ennoshita’s head.  “Enjoy the pizza.”

   “So how are you and Hashimoto?”  Tanaka asked, feeling a twinge in his stomach.

   “Alright, I guess.”  Ennoshita took a bite of pizza.  “We’ve gone on some more dates.”

   “And you’re having a nice time together?”

   “Yeah, though he’s seemed sorta distracted lately.  It’s probably nothing.  I don’t want to bore you.”

   “No!  If you want to talk about it, you can.”

   Ennoshita set his slice of pizza down and sighed.  “Everything was so nice when we first started going out, but I feel like he’s lost interest.  Things feel awkward, like he seems more rigid and preoccupied with something else.  I don’t know.  Maybe it’s because we haven’t been going out for a long time.  I just hope things end of get better soon, y’know?”

   “I’m sure things will work out.”  That idea pained Tanaka.

   “Really?  Wow, it feels good to tell someone that.  Thanks for listening.”

   “No problem.”  Tanaka finished his slice of pizza.  “Let’s keep working.  I think we’re almost done.”

   “Alright.”  They finished their slices of pizza and got back to typing.  Tanaka thought about what Ennoshita had said.  Was the end really coming more him and Hashimoto?

><><><

   “Dude!  You were awesome!”  Nishinoya was bouncing around the locker room after volleyball practice a few days later.  Hinata had joined in, surrounding a rather nervous Asahi.

   “You two don’t need to yell…”  Asahi tried to calm them.  He had done well during practice, his attacks more explosive than usual.  Maybe he had been doing some more training outside of the usual practice.

   “So are you going to be the ace next year?”  Ennoshita nudged Tanaka as they watched Nishinoya and Hinata’s excitement.

   “Oh, I hope so!  But Kinoshita and Narita have gotten pretty good.”  Tanaka rubbed the back of his head and blushed a little.

   “You’re pretty good too!”  Ennoshita laughed and Tanaka felt his heart melt.  “And you certainly have enough energy and enthusiasm.”

   “Thanks…”

   “Well,”  Ennoshita picked up his bag.  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

   “See ya…”  Tanaka waved as Ennoshita left the locker room.

   “How was yesterday?”  Nishinoya asked, eyes wide.

   “We got out project almost done.  Ennoshita has a nice house, and he has two moms?”

   “Two moms?  That’s doubled the number of moms I have!”  Nishinoya laughed at his own joke.  “But give me the juicy details.  Anything about Hashimoto?”

   “He just said that he seemed distracted.”  They began to walk out of the locker room.  “I didn’t pry.”

   “Well, I guess it was for the best.”

   “I want Ennoshita to be happy, but I still don’t like Hashimoto.”

   “Sounds like you’re at some sort of stalemate.”

   “Yeah.”  They turned the corner and Nishinoya pulled Tanaka back behind the building.

   “Look!”  He pointed at Ennoshita, who was with none other than Hashimoto.

   “What are they doing?”  Tanaka squinted.

   “Walking home, I guess.”

   They watched Ennoshita and Hashimoto holding hands while they walked.  Slowly, Hashimoto stopped and turned to Ennoshita.  He held both his hands and looked into his eyes.  From that position, one could see their sizable height difference.  There was an exchange of words that neither Tanaka not Nishinoya could hear.  Ennoshita looked down slightly and Hashimoto took a small step forward.  Ennoshita glanced up and locked eyes with Hashimoto as he closed the space between them.  Then Hashimoto leaned down, putting his hands on Ennoshita’s hips.  Ennoshita tilted his head and closed his eyes and Hashimoto’s lips pressed against him.  Ennoshita hands went over Hashimoto’s shoulder and then to his back, their bodies pressing flush with each other as they kissed, sweetly and passionately.

   Tanaka’s jaw dropped.  His mind was empty.  He couldn’t move his body.

   Ennoshita and Hashimoto.

   They were kissing.  

   Ennoshita wasn’t pulling away.

   He was liking it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I do not know what the next chapter will be up. I haven't started writing it, but Tanaka is going to get a break, I know that much. It's time to make someone else suffer.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always much appreciated.


	10. Discovery and Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for a training camp with Nekoma! Tanaka is thrilled about it, though Ennoshita is a little nervous. As things between Hashimoto and Ennoshita seem to cool down, things between Tanaka and Ennoshita certainly heat up, but that might just be the tight sleeping quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me an eternity to update???? I was writing other stuff and this got forgotten on the back burner. Then it got moved from off the stove and to the corner. Oops. But now I've updated, so yay! Maybe the slightly longer chapter will sort of make up for the lack of update.

   “Alright, boys!  There’s a training camp this weekend, and I expect that everyone will be prepared!”

   Ennoshita was tired and really wanted to just go home, not hear Daichi and Coach Ukai ramble on about the info of their training camp that could easily be put into an email.  He had dinner to eat and homework to do and video games to maybe play.  He _thought that_ he was going to get home early tonight, but that was obviously not the case.

   “The boys from Nekoma will also be there,” Daichi said.  “Everyone should be on their best behavior around them.  Just because they’re competition doesn’t mean you can’t be polite.”

   A few of the boys groaned, including Tanaka.  Ennoshita glanced at the clock on the gym.  Quarter til nine.

   “Alright, that’s everything.  Go change and go home!”

   Hinata and Kageyama bumped into each other as they stood and that sparked some sort of intimidation competition that Ennoshita didn’t understand.  He sighed as he stood, ready to change out of his sweaty shirt and into some regular clothes.

   “Are you excited for the camp?”  Tanaka’s bright smile appeared next to Ennoshita.

   “Yeah.  It sounds like it will be a good time.”

   “And you’ve never met Nekoma!  They’re pretty good, but they’re nice, so don’t worry.”

   Had Tanaka ever smiled as brightly as he was right now?  Was Ennoshita just noticing how animated he could be without getting crazy?  Tanaka was actually kinda cute… when he was like this.  Obviously.

   Ennoshita and Tanaka were the last ones to enter the locker room.  They saw Nishinoya picking on Asahi, and Hinata and Kageyama were still at it with their intimidation game.  Tanaka seemed very happy to be going to the training camp, and his enthusiasm made Ennoshita feel better about meeting the other team.

   “So, is Nekoma a lot better than you guys?”  Ennoshita asked Tanaka just to start up a conversation.

   “Well…”  Tanaka swiftly pulled off his shirt and turned his attention to Ennoshita.  “We had a rough patch a while back, so they were a lot better than us back then, but we’ve gotten a lot better!”  Tanaka gave Ennoshita one of his heart-stopping smiles.  “We’ll win! I know it!”

   Ennoshita chuckled.  “You’re very confident.”

   “Confidence is important.  Without it, you’ll always doubt yourself and you’ll never succeed.  Even if it’s not genuine, it’s better to have a bit of a positive attitude.”

   Ennoshita smiled at Tanaka.  “That’s really good to hear.”

   “Oh!”  Tanaka reached into his backpack and pulled out a clear Ziplock bag.  “These are for you.”

   Ennoshita eyed the bag that Tanaka had handed him.  Small cookies filled the bag to the brim, and Ennoshita could see that there were several kinds.

   “Saeko said I should make something for you since you made me melonpan and had me over at your house.”  Ennoshita thought that he saw a hint of a blush on Tanaka’s cheeks. “I tried a new recipe, so tell me what you think.”

   “Thanks, Tanaka!”  Ennoshita continued to eye the cookies, all of which looked delicious.  It was so nice that Tanak would think of him when making cookies.  He would have to make Tanaka some more melonpan or have him over just to hang one day.

   The boys finished undressing and redressing in silence, Ennoshita sneaking glances at Tanaka from time to time, usually when he and Nishinoya would make a joke that drew some attention.  Tanaka was such a charismatic and charming person.  How hadn’t Ennoshita notice this before?  He was also quick with a helpful tip or kind word, not to mention his unmatched enthusiasm for everything.  He was so unlike Ennoshita, yet why was he so drawn to him?  Ennoshita was happy he had become friends with Tanaka when he had.

   “So any plans for this evening?”  Tanaka asked Ennoshita as they exited the locker room.

   “No, not really.  I have some homework to finish.”

   “Oh.”  Tanaka kicked a stone on the ground as Ennoshita pulled out his phone to check for new messages.  There was a notification for an app on his phone, but no texts.  Not even from Hashimoto.  Ennoshita frowned and tucked his phone back into his pocket.

   “Is everything alright?”  Tanaka looked at Ennoshita with wondering eyes.

   “Oh, yeah, all good.  I was just surprised that I didn’t have any messages.”

   “I see.”  Tanaka stuck his hands in his pockets and kept walking next to Ennoshita, who kept his eyes lowered.  “How are you and Hashimoto doing?”

   “Alright, I guess.  We aren’t hanging out as much anymore, though.”  Ennoshita hung his head slightly, the sides of his mouth turning down some.  He hadn’t gone out with Hashimoto for an actual date in over a week, and recently they hadn’t been texting each other as often.  But when they did see each other, it was next to bliss.  They still held hands and kissed and cuddled while watching movies, just not as frequently now.

   “Oh.  Busy schedule?”

   “Maybe.  I know he has a lot of his attention on basketball, and I have mine on volleyball.  I still have a nice time when I do hang out with him.”

   “That’s good to hear.”  Tanka smiled warmly at Ennoshita.  “I’m happy you and Hashimoto get along so well.”

   “Thanks, Tanaka.”  Ennoshita smiled back at Tanaka but had to look away when their eyes met, feeling a blush start to creep up on his ears.  Luckily, Tanaka didn’t seem to notice.

   “Well, I guess this is where we part ways.”  Tanaka gestured down the road he had to go.  “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

   “Yeah.”  Ennoshita smiled at Tanaka.  “Thanks again for the cookies.”

   “No problem!”  Tanaka waved as he skipped away from Ennoshita, still smiling.  Ennoshita paused and looked down at the bag of cookies.  Sure, some of them were a little overdone, but for some reason looking at the cookies made Ennoshita feel all warm inside.  He had made them just for him.  As a thank you.  Ennoshita took out one cookie and bit into it.  Yes, it was sort of dry, but Ennoshita still loved it.  The flavor was good.  As he began to walk towards his apartment, Ennoshita pulled his phone out one more time.  Still no messages.

><><><

   “Hi, Sweetie!”  Ennoshita heard a chipper voice ring from the kitchen once he stepped inside.  “You’re home late?  How was practice?”

   Ennoshita slipped off his shoes and went into the kitchen to see Mei checking up on the rice she had cooking.

   “It was good,” he said as he watched his mom.  “We have a training camp coming up out of town.  This weekend.  We’re going to be playing with a team called Nekoma.”

   “Sounds fun!”  Mei said as she handed Ennoshita stack of plates.  “Almost as fun as setting the table!”

   Ennoshita rolled his eyes at his mom’s awful humor and set three plates on their table.  Mei hummed a lively tune as she continued to cook.  Once he finished with the plates, Ennoshita grabbed three glasses and set them next to the plates.  As he was about to go back to the kitchen, he felt a warm, fuzzy something rub against his leg.

   “Hey, Tiger!”  Ennoshita leaned down and lifted up a loudly purring Tiger Lily and held her in his arms.  “How was your day?  Lots of naps?”

   Ennoshita was about to head to his room when he heard his mother speak.

   “Who are these cookies from, Chika?”

   “Oh… um…”  Ennoshita turned around and walked back into the kitchen to find his mom examining the bags of cookies Tanaka had given him.  “They’re from Tanaka.”

   “Ryuu?  That boy who came by the other week?”  Mei put her hand to her chest.  “Bless his heart!  He made them for you?”

   “Yeah, as a thank you for having him over and for the melonpan.”

   “Oh, he is just the sweetest boy!  You should have him here more often!  I’ve noticed he’s looking a little thin.  He needs some meat on those bones.”

   “Mei, he’s fine.  He eats plenty, trust me.”

   “I don’t know… I’ve seen some of your volleyball friends and they’re just skin and bones!  They need to eat more.  I know Hashimoto doesn’t have this problem.”

   Ennoshita looked down upon hearing the other boy’s name, remembering he still hadn’t gotten a message back from him.  Tiger Lily looked up at him with soft eyes, continuing to purr.

   “When will Aiko be home?”  Ennoshita asked.

   Mei looked at the clock.  “Hopefully soon.  Dinner is almost ready and I don’t want the beef getting tough.”

   Almost the second that last word came out of her mouth, the front door swung open and Aiko stepped in, slipping her shoes off and setting them next to Mei’s, straightening hers out as well.

   “Hey, babe!”  Mei called from the kitchen, slinking out seconds later to greet her wife.  “How was work?”

   Aiko smiled shyly as Mei approached her with open arms and a wide smile.  “It was good.”

   “Your presentation?”  Meith wrapped her arms around Aiko’s waist and set her chin on Aiko’s chest.

   “It went well.  I didn’t stutter, or at least not as much.”

   “Yay!”  Mei quickly put a peck on Aiko’s lips.  “I knew you could do it!”

   “Thank you for believing in me,” Aiko said, a slight blush on her face.

   Mei released her arms from around Aiko’s waist and began to walk towards the kitchen.  “Go make sure Chika has set the table.”

   Aiko followed Mei into the kitchen.  “I’m sure he has.  He’s a responsible kid.”

   “How about we eat, and then-” Mei bit her lip as he wrapped a hand towel around Aiko butt and pulled her in close “-afterward I’ll give you a _special_ congratulations for that presentation.”

   “Mei!”  Aiko turned her reddened face away.  “Chika’s in the other room!”

   “Oops.”  Mei still had on a mischievous smile.

   Perhaps Ennoshita would have heard what his moms were saying, but he was too busy checking his phone for new messages.  He had received one from Hashimoto, but it was a generic response, not specifying why he had taken so long to get back.  With a slight frown, Ennoshita slid his phone back into his pocket.  What was going on with him?  Ennoshita shook the questions from his head.  They were both in high school, so, of course, things weren’t going to work.  He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up in the first place.

   “Alright!  Let’s eat!”

   Mei came out holding a pot of delicious smelling stew which got Ennoshita’s head out of his boyfriend problems right away.  Aiko followed closely behind with a large bowl of rice and a pitcher of water.  They set the food down on the table and sat down, Ennoshita checking his phone one last time to see if Hashimoto had responded to the message he had sent in response.  Nothing.

   “Why don’t you tell Aiko the big news?”  Mei said with a smile as she spooned rice onto everyone’s plates.

   “The news?”  Ennoshita questioned, not sure what exactly Mei was talking about.

   “Yes!  With the volleyball team…”

   “Oh!  We’re going to a training camp this weekend with one of the other teams.”

   “That sounds like it will be a nice time.”  Aiko smiled as well.  “Who is this other team?”

   “Nekoma.  They’re from farther in the city.”

   “Your other team never did stuff like this.  Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself.”

   “Oh, he’ll be fine!”  Mei interjected.  “Besides, that Ryuu boy is going as well.  And he made Ennoshita cookies!”

   “He is very sweet.  I’m sure you’ll have a fun time.”

   Ennoshita pushed his food around.  “Yeah… It should be.”

   “Is something wrong, sweetie?”  Mei said, eyes going soft.  “Are you not hungry?”

   “No, I guess I’m just…”  Ennoshita took a bite of food.  “I don’t know.  Tired maybe.”

   “Well, if you want to talk, we’ll listen.”

   “Alright.”

><><><

   The weekend came and both of Ennoshita’s moms were standing in front of the school saying goodbye to Ennoshita.

   “Oh, we’re going to miss you!”  Mei had her arms wrapped around Ennoshita.  “Our little boy is growing up so fast!”

   “You have everything you need?”  Aiko asked worriedly.  “Toothbrush, underwear, socks, bandages, pillow?  Did you get your pillow?  Do you want your-”

   “Guys!  I’m fine.  Yes, I’m pretty sure I have everything I need, and I’ll miss you guys, too.”

   After another few minutes of tearful goodbyes, Ennoshita’s moms watched as their son boarded the van to head out to the training camp.  Ennoshita sighed and took a seat next to Tanaka and took his phone out right away, queuing up his music so he could snooze.

   “I take it you don’t leave home alone too often,” Tanaka commented as he got comfortable in his seat.

   “Yeah, I guess not.”  Ennoshita slid his bag under the seat.  “They just get so worried sometimes.  I know it’s out of love, though.”

   “So, um… If you don’t mind me asking…”  Tanaka rubbed his knees with his hands nervously.  “What’s it like having two moms?  Like, I have an older sister and a mom, which is sort of like two moms, but not really…?”

   Ennoshita smiled at Tanaka’s innocent question.  “It’s alright, I guess.  There are always those people who don’t think they should be together and aren’t afraid to voice it.  When I was younger, they really shielded me from it, but it got harder as I got older.  And I had to get used to having double the femininity around.”

   “I know how that feels,” Tanaka chuckled.  “Saeko is always leaving her girl stuff around.”

   “It’s bras, makeup, and clothing galore at my house.  And there’s a perpetual smell of floral perfume that hangs in the air.”

   “Right!?”  Tanaka’s eyes lit up in the cutest way.  “I constantly have to give Saeko clothes that got mixed up with mine.  And the bathroom always smells like perfume and nail polish!”

   “And how many lipsticks can one woman own?  Like, you can only wear one at a time?”

   “And the number of earrings and bracelets Saako has is mind-blowing!”

   “Yes!  Mei has so much jewelry!  What is it with girls and jewelry.”

   “I guess they just like shiny things.”

   “Must be.  If anyone knew, it’d you.”  Ennoshita playfully elbowed Tanaka.  “Since you’re such a ladies’ man.”

   “Eh, I’m more of a flirter than a gift buyer.”  Tanaka suddenly got a little shyer.

   “Oh yeah?  So what’s your best pick-up line?”  Once those words had left Ennoshita’s mouth, he immediately questioned why he had said such a thing.  A pick-up line?  Seriously?  What was his goal?

   “Well…”  Tanaka turned back towards Ennoshita.  “I like to make each unique and personal.”

   “Oh yeah?”

   “Some girls like humor, but I’ve found that an honest compliment is a sure-fire way to get their attention.”

   “Like what?”

    _Chika?  What are you doing?_  Ennoshita thought to himself.   _S_ _top!  Abort!_

   “Like ‘your hair is so dark and shiny.  Do you use something special to get it looking that good?’ Or ‘you have such flawless skin.  An angel would be jealous.’”

   Ennoshita let his mouth fall open slightly as he felt himself getting lost in Tanaka’s word.

   “I like to say how their laugh is contagious, or how kind they are to others, or how gently they touch.”  Tanaka turned more towards Ennoshita.  “Or how they always make me feel happy, and each time I see them, I can’t stop smiling.”

   Ennoshita’s body leaned towards Tanaka’s.

   “How I could get lost in their deep, dark eyes… and how I can see the stars in their smile.”

   Tanaka’s words were slowing, his eyelids closing like Ennoshita’s as they seemed to be drawn closer together by a force they could not control.  It was just the two of them; no one was else around.  Ennoshita couldn’t process what was happening, other than that he liked it and wanted so much more.

   But a buzz from his phone would send the boys flying out of their trance.

   Their faces flew apart, and a blush bloomed on their cheeks.  Eye contact was fiercely voided as Ennoshita fumbled to check the messages on his phone.  Ah, a new one from Hashimoto.

   “Who’s it from?”  Tanaka asked, daring to let his eyes dart to Ennoshita.

   “Aiko.”

   “What’s she say?”

   “She’s just wondering if we’re doing alright.”

   “Hmm.”

   It almost made Ennoshita feel bad to lie through his teeth to Tanaka.  He was just curious; he had no malicious motives.  Why did telling him that Hashimoto had sent the message feel so wrong to Ennoshita?  There was nothing wrong with it.  It was just a text.

H: _hey_

E: _Hey_

H: _wanna hang out this weekend?_

E: _Can’t_

H: _why?_

E: _I’m going to that volleyball training camp_

H: _:(_

H: _next weekend?_

E: _Maybe_

   Ennoshita sighed and closed his messaging app.  Had Hashimoto not remembered that he was going away this weekend?  But he was probably just busy with basketball.  His forgetfulness didn’t mean anything.  Ennoshita turned to keep talking to Tanaka, but he had already put his earbuds in and was lost to the scenery outside.  Slightly dismayed, Ennoshita decided that it would be best if he did the same.  He slipped his headphones on and relaxed, trying to clear his mind of his seemingly endless boy problems.

><><><

   After a long bus ride and a tiring set of games against Nekoma, the dinner that the teams were sharing tasted absolutely amazing despite its simplicity.  Ennoshita enjoyed the simple mix of beef and steamed vegetables on rice as he chatted with the other second years, minus Tanaka, who Ennoshita assumed was hanging out with Nishinoya and Asahi or the first years.

   “You should totally ask her out!”  Kinoshita said through a mouthful of food.  “She’s cute!”

   “I don’t know…” Narita pushed the food around on his plate.  “I feel like she’s out of my league.”

   “It won’t hurt to try!”  Kinoshita continued to shovel food into his mouth.  “What do you think, Ennoshita?”

   Ennoshita quickly looked at the other two boys, his minding having just started to wander away from their conversation.

   “Oh, I think you should do it.  It’s not that bad.”

   “Of course you’d say that, Mr Already-Has-A-Boyfriend.”

   Ennoshita looked down at his food.  “Yeah…”

   Narita noticed Ennoshita’s sudden change in mood, but he chose not to question.

   “I’m getting more food,” Kinoshita announced as he stood from the table, even though he had eaten more than the other two boys combined.

   “I’ll come with,” Narita said.  “I want more to drink.”

   The two boys left, leaving Ennoshita alone with his thoughts.

    _Why did he forget the training camp?_    Ennoshita thought as he ate.   _Is it because he doesn’t care?   Why do I keep thinking like this?  He cares about me, I know he does.  But why hasn’t he texted me today?  I know he’s not doing anything._

   Ennoshita could feel his emotions getting the better of him, making his stomach sick with sadness.  Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for the camp to end and go home.  Then he would be able to see Hashimoto and they would be able to talk about what was going on and make up and be happy.  Just another few days.

   “Ennoshita!”

   Upon hearing his name get called, Ennoshita looked up to see Tanaka briskly walking towards him with a plate piled high with food, a cheery smile on his face that always lifted Ennoshita’s spirits.  He approached the table where Ennoshita was sitting and gestured to it.

   “All alone?”

   “Kinoshita and Narita were here, but they went to get more food.”

   “Oh… mind if I sit?”

   That was exactly the question Ennoshita had hoped to hear.  He scooched himself over on the bench to give Tanaka more room to sit.  “Go ahead.”

   Tanaka smiled as he set his plate down and climbed over the bench to sit with Ennoshita.

   “Nekoma’s really good,” Ennoshita commented to get a conversation started.

   “Yeah, I’m really impressed.”  Tanaka, just like Kinoshita, sometimes spoke with his mouth still full of food.  “They’re going to be a fierce competitor once we start actually playing real matches.  But I know we can do it!”

   Ennoshita smiled at Tanaka’s endearing enthusiasm.  He was such a nice guy.  He never had a harsh word to say, and he gave everything his all no matter what.

   “Did we get replaced?”  Kinoshita called as the two other boys approached.  Somehow, Kinoshita still had food practically falling from his mouth.

   “I’d call it an upgrade,” Tanaka joked as Narita and Kinoshita took their seats across from him.

   “What’s that supposed to mean?”

   “I’m just saying…”  Tanaka put his arm around Ennoshita’s shoulder.  “You ever think that maybe Ennoshita is better friends with me than you?”

   “Or maybe you just came over here so you can keep chatting him up,” Kinoshita shot back.

   Ennoshita’s eyes went wide for a second, and Tanaka’s back straightened, his hand quickly drawing back off of Ennoshita.  He balled his fists and stared at his plate as though he was paralyzed like that.  Had Tanaka really just come over to… chat him up?

   “Well, you know, since Tanaka seems to flirt with everyone,” Narita said in an attempt save the situation and his friend’s pride.  “You don’t know the half of it, Ennoshita.  He’ll throw a pick-up line at anything that moves, _right Kinoshita?_ ”

   From under the table, Narita stepped on Kinoshita’s foot.

   “What was that for!?”  Kinoshita exclaimed, still unaware of the awkwardness he had caused.

   “I’m going to the bathroom.”  Tanaka stood and quickly walked away from the other boys, not a drop of life in his voice or movements.  Ennoshita turned and watched Tanaka leave with a saddened heart, wanting so badly to reach out and pull him back or go and chase after him.  What Ennoshita didn’t see was Narita smack Kinoshita in the back of the head for almost letting their friend's secret out.  As Ennoshita turned forward again, the boys went back to normal sitting position.  For some reason, Ennoshita felt almost guilty, but he didn't know what for.  He felt like he had been cheating Tanaka out of something - doing him dirty.  The two other boys eyed each other as they watched Ennoshita’s demeanor fall, questioning what exactly was between Tanaka and Ennoshita.

><><><

   With dinner eaten and the sun gone, the Karasuno boys were up to no good in their sleeping quarters, which was much smaller than any of them had anticipated.  There was barely any space between their beds for walking, yet somehow some of the boys had found enough space to set up a game of poker.  Suga was dealing (obviously), Nishinoya was bouncing with anticipation as he held his cards, and Tsukishima and Kageyama were trying to make sense of the rules and directions Daichi was spewing out.  Asahi was on the other side of the room, not wanting anything to do with the gambling, and everyone else was either on their phones or watching the poker game.  Ennoshita sat against one wall with his phone plugged in, getting caught up on Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.  He really wanted to catch all the fish for the fishing tourney, so his mind was set on reeling in all of those olive flounders.

    _C’mon!_  Enoshita bit his lip as he accidentally tapped the screen too early once a fish as bit his line.   _That could have been a red snapper!_

   “Whatcha playing?”

   Ennoshita looked up to see Tanaka in front of him, a sweet smile on his face.

   “Oh, Animal Crossing.”

   “On your phone?”

   “Yeah.”  Ennoshita patted the spot beside him, and Tanaka sat down, quizzically peering over to Ennoshita’s phone screen.  “It came out a few months ago.”

   “Is that you?”  Tanaka pointed to the little character that was walking around.

   “Yup.”

   “It looks like you.”

   Tanaka questioned why Ennoshita was catching so many squids and how a cat could eat a coconut, Ennoshita giving the best answer he could.  After Ennoshita was satisfied with the fish he had caught, he and Tanaka turned to watching Vine compilation on YouTube, chuckling and pointing out their favorite Vines when they would appear.  Tanaka slowly inched closer to Ennoshita until they were sitting directly next to each other, Tanaka leaning slightly on Ennoshita to better see the phone screen.  Ennoshita tried to hide this odd excitement in Tanaka’s closeness to him.  Why this made him so happy yet nervous confused Ennoshita.  What was so special about this?  He was a friend, so sitting near him shouldn’t affect his heart and his feelings this much.  What was going on?

   After another few hours of poker and Vine compilations, Coach Ukai swung open the door to the boys’ room and ordered them all to go to sleep, and to “stop playing that Devil’s game!”  The boys scattered to their designated sleeping spot, Ennoshita’s being next to Tanaka’s.  But once the coach had left, twelve voices began to chatter with one another, gossiping or arguing or giggling.  Tanaka had pulled out his phone to show Ennoshita some memes he had found, which meant that he had to scoot right next to Ennoshita, which made Ennoshita’s heart go wild.  But after another hour of talking like girls at a sleepover, all of the boys decided that it was time to actually fall asleep, this idea being pushed by Daichi who became a grumpy old man if he didn’t get enough sleep.

   But sleep did not come easily for Ennoshita.  He kept thinking about his moms and Tiger Lily, then about Hashimoto and what he would say to him once he got back from the training camp.  One way or another, they had to have a conversation.  But then his eyes would drift left to a sleeping Tanaka, drooling on the pillow he was clutching to his chest.  Ennoshita quickly drew his eyes away when he felt his cheeks getting warm again.

    _Just go to sleep,_ he said to himself.   _Count sheep.  1… 2… 3… 4…_

   Soon, Ennoshita was fast asleep like the other boys.  He dreamt odd dreams of cats and volleyball and food.  He tossed and turned some, his body not being able to find a comfortable position.  This lack of comfort led to Ennoshita waking up once in the middle of the night, darkness surrounding him.  It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he could see his sleeping spot.  Where he should be sleeping.  Confused, Ennoshita turned to look over his shoulder to see if he could determine where he had ended up.  Tanaka’s sleeping face shocked Ennoshita fully awake, immediately realizing that he had ended up somewhere between his sleeping quarters and Tanaka’s.  What shocked him even more was that Tanaka was mere inches away from him; his arm was across Ennoshita’s waist and holding him there.  Without a second thought, Ennoshita removed Tanaka’s arm from him and scurried back to his spot, his cheeks flaming hot.

    _We- How- What-_

   A thousand possibilities as to how he ended up in Tanaka’s arms flooded into Ennoshita’s head, making his whole body heat practically to a fever, nervously sweating out the feelings Ennoshita was having.  He and Tanaka were… cuddling?  No, it couldn’t be.  There was nothing like that between them.

    _I don’t like him,_ Ennoshita said to himself, fighting back nervous, emotional tears.   _I like Hashimoto, and Tanaka doesn’t like me, not in that way._

   Those thoughts replayed in Ennoshita’s mind as he tried to will himself back to sleep.  He so badly just wanted to talk to someone about how he was feeling, but that someone was either Hashimoto or Tanaka, the two people he didn’t want anything to do with now.  Ennoshita screwed his eyes shut and covered his head with his pillow.  He just needed to convince himself that everything was alright.  Nothing had changed.

    _I don’t like him.  I like Hashimoto.  He doesn’t like me._

_I don’t like him, I like Hashimoto, He doesn’t like me._

_I don’t like him, he doesn’t like me._

_I don’t like him, he doesn’t like me._

_He doesn’t like me._

_He doesn’t like me._

_He doesn’t like me he doesn’t like me he doesn't…_

 

_He’ll never like me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I low-key got carried away with Mei and Aiko. I love them too much.
> 
> Also, don't ask me about how time moves in this fic. I, too, do not know. Also, yes, this sticks to canon about as well as oil mixes with water.
> 
> And I also don't know when ch 11 and 12 will go up. This chapter was a little more difficult since I needed a transition to what's going to happen next, and I had zero ideas that were halfway decent. But I know exactly what I want to happen in the final two chapters, so there won't be any more 8-month gaps (hopefully).
> 
> Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated.


	11. What Friends Are For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to an end, but every end brings the chance for another beginning.

   Tanaka lied on his bed Saturday evening, throwing bits of paper into his waste bin.  There was no school tomorrow, so he played video games for a while, but he quickly grew bored of the fictional combat.  His mind was blank and wandered to thoughts that quickly faded.  He considered getting up and eating something to keep his body entertained.  He thought about Ennoshita and how happy he must be right now.

    _I should probably just forget him,_ Tanaka thought as he tossed more paper across the room.   _Nothing is ever going to change._

   Tanaka was about to tear out another piece of notebook paper to rip up when he felt his phone vibrate on his bed.  He sighed and leaned over to see who had messaged him.

    _It’s probably Noya,_ Tanaka thought as he lazily looked at the screen.  To his surprise, Ennoshita’s name had popped up.

E: _Tanaka?_

   Odd.  Ennoshita usually never initiated conversations, and when he did, it was with a complete thought, not just Tanaka’s name.

T: _yeah?_

    Tanaka eagerly waited for Ennoshita’s response.  A minute later, the phone buzzed again.

E: _Could you come over?_

   Tanaka froze.  Had Ennoshita just asked him over?  On a whim?  Did they have a project due?  Was Ennoshita in trouble?  No, everything was fine.  Maybe he was just bored.

T: _yeah sure_

   Tanaka pressed send and waited.  Was this an emergency?  Should he rush over, or would it be okay if he took his time?  Tanaka stood and slipped a shirt on, keeping an eye on his phone.  The screen didn’t light up again, so he put it in his pocket and went out to the sitting room.

   “Hey, Saeko?”

   Tanaka’s sister was lounging on the couch watching the news.  “What’s up?”

   “Could you take me over to Ennoshita’s?”

   Saeko looked at Tanaka with confusion.  “It’s sorta late…”

   “I think something might be wrong.”

   She stood.  “I’ll get my keys.”

><><><

   The drive to Ennoshita’s was quiet despite the many questions soaring through Tanaka’s head.  Saeko would glance over every now and then just to see Tanaka staring out the window at the passing houses and trees.  They zoomed down the road, patchy street lights illuminating their path.  Tanaka’s eyes focused on nothing as they turned corners and crested hills.  He hoped that Ennoshita was alright, that he just wanted to hang out, but there was still an undeniable feeling that something bad had happened to Ennoshita.  Maybe his cat had died, or his parents were divorcing.  Whatever it was, Tanaka was ready to be there for his friend.

   Saeko parked in the lot of Ennoshita’s apartment complex.  Tanaka checked back on his messages to make sure he knew which number he was going to.

   “You can stay here for now,” Tanaka said to Saeko.  “I’ll text you when I get inside.”

   Saeko nodded.  She let Tanaka go without any further questions.  Tanaka got out of the car and began to walk towards the apartment complex, his nerves tight and hot.  He just wanted to get up there and figure out what was going on.  The stairs he had to climb felt like they went on forever, the only things that kept him away from Ennoshita.  He walked down the hallway to where he knew Ennoshita’s apartment was.  The hallway felt longer than ever.  With each step Tanaka took, the door to Ennoshita’s seemed to get farther and farther away, but after what seemed like hours of walking, he was able to knock on the door to see what was up with Ennoshita.

   “Ennoshita?”  Tanaka knocked again.  “Hey, it’s me.  I got your message.  Ennoshita?”

   There was a moment of silence before Tanaka could hear locks being unlatched from behind the door.  Slowly, the door opened and Ennoshita’s figure was revealed.  He was wearing his pajamas and was looking slightly downwards as he opened the door enough for Tanaka to slip through.

   “Thanks for coming,” Ennoshita quickly said as he turned around and walked back into his apartment.  “I just… I wanted someone to hang out with.”

   “Oh…”

    _Everything’s fine,_ Tanaka thought as he took off his shoes and closed the door.

   “Are you hungry?”  Ennoshita asked, heading for the kitchen.

   “Not really…” Tanaka began, but he saw Ennoshita carrying a big bag of potato chips and practically shoveling them into his mouth.  He also had two bottles of soda balanced in the hand with the chips.  “But I could eat.”

   “Good.”  Ennoshita shoved the chips into Tanaka’s chest and he took them, taking one out and eating it as he watched Ennoshita walk the other way.  “C’mon.”

   Tanaka followed Ennoshita down the hallway to Ennoshita’s room.  Tanaka clumsily shot Saeko a text saying he would be there a while so she could go home.  They both walked into Ennoshita's room.  Tanaka stood awkwardly with the chips as Ennoshita put the drinks down on his desk.

   “Sit,” Ennoshita directed, pointing to his bed.

   Tanaka obeyed without a word, still slowly putting chips into his mouth.  Ennoshita cracked open one of the bottles of soda and immediately downed half of it in one go.  Tanaka’s eyes widened.  He was stuck somewhere between shocked and weirdly turned on.

   Tanaka broke the silence.  “So, you just wanna chill.”

   Ennoshita lifted Tiger Lily from off the floor and shook his head, still not looking right at Tanaka.

   “No?”  Tanaka questioned.  “Homework?”

   Ennoshita grabbed his phone from off his desk and flopped down next to Tanaka on his bed.  He unlocked his phone and handed it to Tanaka, taking the chips as a trade and shoving a handful into his mouth.

   “Read,” Ennoshita ordered.

   Tanaka nodded and looked down at the screen.  It was of Ennoshita’s text messages to a certain “Hashimoto <3<3”

E: Hey.  Didn’t hear from you today.  You alright?

H: im fine

E: Are you sure?  You’ve been acting weird lately

H: its nothing

E: Really?

H: yeah

E: Are we still going to the movies on Sunday?

H: idk

E: Did something come up?

H: sort of

E: Should we reschedule?

H: no

E: Really? Did you not want to see that movie?

H: i dont think this is working anymore

E: What?

H: yeah im not into it

E: I don’t understand

H: i think we'd be better off alone. Im tired of us being together. Its not the same anymore

E: If you’re having a problem, we can talk about it.  We can make things work

H: i dont want to

E: So you’re breaking up with me?

H: yeah

E: Seriously?  Right now?

H: yeah i dont want to date you anymore im done

   The messages stopped there.  Tanaka looked over to Ennoshita who was still eating chips, now at a slower rate, staring at the floor while petting Tiger Lily.

   “Ennoshita… I’m sorry.”

   Tears welled up in Ennoshita’s eyes before they cascaded down his cheeks.  Tiger Lily looked up at Ennoshita worriedly.  She put her paws on Ennoshita’s chest and sniffed his cheeks, trying to figure out what was making her human so sad.

   “H-h-he… he br-broke up w-with m-m-me, ov-over… over t-text.”

   Ennoshita’s tears increased twofold as he finally said what had happened.  It was real.  It wasn’t just a dream or a stupid joke.  Hashimoto had just come right out and said it.

   The bag of chips fell to the ground when Ennoshita leaned into Tanaka’s chest and sobbed.  Without a second thought, Tanaka wrapped his arms around Ennoshita and held him tight.  From every movie he had ever watched and every book he had ever read, Tanaka knew that the normal thing to feel would be happiness.  His crush was finally single which meant that he could swoop in for the catch.  But Tanaka was anything but happy.  How could he be at a time like this?

   “It’s alright, Ennoshita,” Tanaka tried to sooth.  “He’s just a stupid asshole.”

   “But he wasn’t!”  Ennoshita cried.  “He was so nice to me!  I thought everything was fine!”

   Tanaka just shut his mouth and rubbed Ennoshita’s back.  Tiger Lily’s curiosity had gone to the split chips on the floor, but she would look up every now and then to see Ennoshita crying.  She’s put her paw on the bed and wiggled her head before going back to the chips.

   “I’m sorry, Tanaka.”  Ennoshita pulled away some and wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve.  “You probably don’t want to be around just for me to cry on.  If you want to go home, you can, but I just needed someone here for a little while since my parents aren’t home and I would usually call Hashimoto about this stuff but…”  Ennoshita began to choke on his words.

   “It’s alright, dude.  You can cry on me.”  Tanaka put a hand on Ennoshita’s back.  “Friends are meant to be there for each other in times of need.”

   Ennoshita smiled at Tanaka through his sadness.  He had gotten so lucky to have a friend like him.

   “So, do you wanna talk about it or do something distracting?”

   “Distracting,” Ennoshita whispered.  Tanaka smiled and stood up from off the bed.  He walked over to Ennoshita's desk and picked up Ennoshita’s laptop.

   “I say we watch something funny,” Tanaka announced as he sat back down on the bed.  Ennoshita had moved to sit against his pillows and Tanaka sat close to there.  “You’ve ever seen Game Grumps?”

   Ennoshita shook his head.  Tanaka smiled as he pulled up YouTube to find the Game Grumps' channel.

   “I say we watch Kirby’s Dream Course.”  He clicked the playlist before turning the laptop so Ennoshita could see.  An ad ran before the familiar orange intro began.

   “Sit.”  Ennoshita moved over and patted the spot next to him.  For a moment, Tanaka wasn’t sure if Enoshita was talking to him.  He wanted them to sit next to each other?  Close? Like, touching?  After a second of hesitation, Tanaka slid the laptop and sat next to Ennoshita, against the bed frame.  Tanaka worked to prop the laptop up with an empty bottle of soda so it wouldn’t overheat.  After a moment of adjusting and re-adjusting, he was finally happy with his set up.  He leaned back and got comfy on Ennoshita’s bed, ready to enjoy yet another watch-through of Kirby’s Dream Course.  The first episode played on, Tanaka chuckling at the jokes being made and Ennoshita letting out an occasional giggle.  He had wrapped himself up in a blanket, and somewhere along the line, Tiger Lily had climbed onto the bed and had curled up on one of Ennoshita’s pillow between the wall and Ennoshita. Tanaka stayed a few inches away from Ennoshita while they watched, not wanting to invade on his personal space.

   They made it through the first six episodes before Ennoshita leaned forward and paused the video.

   “I’m hungry,” he said, crawling over Tanaka to get to the door.  “We’re going to eat.”

   Tanaka made no complaint about eating.  He got off the bed and followed Ennoshita down the hallway and back to his kitchen.  He looked cute wrapped up in his blanket still.

   “What do you want?”  Ennoshita asked as he pulled a tub of ice cream out of the freezer.

   “I doesn’t really matter,” Tanaka replied.  “Whatever you want is fine.”

   “Good.”  Ennoshita pulled out two medium-sized bowls and an ice cream scoop and set them on the counter.  “Scoop.”

   Tanaka did as he was told as Ennoshita pulled out topping after topping for the ice cream, then more chips and cookies and drinks.  Tanaka watched him arrange of the food on a tray while nibbling the chips.  Ennoshita sure did have a lot of snack food in his house.

   “Is that enough?”  Tanaka showed Ennoshita the bowl he had filled with chocolate ice cream.

   “Another scoop,” Ennoshita said through a mouthful of chips.  Tanaka placed one more scoop of ice cream on the rest and Ennoshita smiled.  Each of the boys took their respective bowls and piled syrup and nuts and sprinkles on top.  Once they were happy, they put everything onto the tray and Tanaka carried it to Ennoshita’s room to finish watching Game Grumps, Ennoshita bringing the drinks behind him.  Upon entering Ennoshita’s bedroom again, Tiger Lily meowed at the boys wonderingly.  Tanaka tiptoed around her, setting the tray down on Ennoshita’s desk.  Ennoshita put all but two bottles of the drinks on the desk and grabbed his bowl of ice cream before going back to his spot on the bed.  He dove into his ice cream right away, taking huge bite after huge bite, but stopping after a moment and scrunching up his nose.

   Tanaka chuckled and sat on the bed with his ice cream and the bag of chips Ennoshita had started eating earlier.  He pressed play on the computer and the Game Grumps started up again.  As the episode progressed, Ennoshita’s eating slowed and he focused more on the computer.  He chuckled at their stupid jokes between bites of ice cream and sips of soda.  His knees were still pressed nearly flush with his chest, all wrapped up in a blanket with only his toes sticking out.  Tanaka ate slowly, eyes focusing more on Ennoshita than the gameplay.  He had already seen every episode in that series, and his mind just kept going back to how Ennoshita was feeling.  He needed to make sure Ennoshita wasn’t too upset or if he was enjoying what they were watching.  Sure, his eyes were still a little red and puffy, but he seemed to be liking the Game Grumps.  Tanaka put some more chips in his mouth and went back to watching the screen.  Tiger Lily then decided that she wanted attention, so she jumped up onto the bed and meowed loudly, planted herself right in the laptop’s keyboard.

   “Tiger!”  Ennoshita’s voice was playfully angry.  He chuckled and scooped Tiger Lily up from in front of the screen and held her in his arms.  “Why are you so fussy?”

   Tanaka leaned over and scratched Tiger Lily’s head, earning a bit of a push into his hand.  “Maybe she wants to watch Game Grumps, too.”

   “Is that what it is?”  Ennoshita held Tiger Lily out in from him and put their foreheads together.  “Or are you jealous that I’m giving my attention to Tanaka?  You have to share my love, Tiger.”

   Tanaka smiled at Ennoshita’s word, but his stomach twisted when Ennoshita said “love.”  He swallowed hard and watched Ennoshita hold Tiger Lily like a baby and kiss her head.  He could hear Tiger Lily purring loudly.  He stopped himself from reaching out and petting her again.

   As the boys ate more junk and watched more Kirby’s Dream Course, they commented on what was going on and laughed too hard at dumb jokes, holding their aching sides.  Tiger Lily had gone and hid, not wanting anything to do with the boys’ horseplay.  Maybe it was the late hour or the sugar and fat in their veins, but everything seemed absolutely hilarious.  Tanaka laughed at Ennoshita and Ennoshita laughed at Tanaka and both of them laughed at the horrible gameplay they were watching.

   “How could he have missed that!?”  Ennoshita asked through tears of laughter.  “It was the perfect shot!”

   “He has a knack for messing up,” Tanaka chuckled.  “I can’t say that he’s any better in the other playthroughs.”

   Ennoshita giggled and leaned back against the pillows and sighed as the episode finished.  He closed his eyes halfway and turned his head towards Tanaka.

   “Thanks for being here.”  His smile and his eyes were soft.  “Especially since it’s so late.”

   Tanaka smiled back, maybe a little too widely.  “It wasn’t an issue.  Plus I got free food.”

   Ennoshita chuckled and looked forward again, a long ad playing on the computer screen.  He closed his eyes and let his body tip onto Tanaka’s shoulder.  “I just needed someone next to me.”

   When Ennoshita’s head came in contact with his shoulder, Tanaka froze.  He felt his face heat up and his heart start beating faster.

   “Y-yeah, it’s all g-good,” he stammered through a dry mouth.  “It’s what friends are for, right?”

   Ennoshita hummed a response as the next episode began to play.  He scooched closer to Tanaka, their arms and legs now touching.  Tanaka tensed and felt like he was going to puke, but there was no way he was going to let this moment end.  So Tanaka, through a bout confidence, lifted his arm and wrapped it around Ennoshita’s shoulder and squeezed him in a little closer.  Things would be just fine.

><><><

   Tanaka woke up to find himself in Ennoshita’s bed, still sitting against some pillows with his legs outstretched.  He squinted as the light in Ennoshita’s room burned his eye.  He went to move, but a large mass on his right side compromised his mobility.  He looked down to see Ennoshita sleeping soundly on his shoulder, arms tangled together, legs bent half way. His breathing was slow and steady, and the last thing Tanaka wanted to do was wake him up.  But he couldn’t stay here forever.  This was supposed to just be a little hangout, not a sleepover.  Slowly, Tanaka shifted himself and let Ennoshita’s head softy fall onto the pillows he had been sitting against.  Tanaka eased himself off the bed and placed Ennoshita’s dead laptop back on his desk.  Tanaka sighed when he saw the food and junk that had been scattered over Ennoshita’s room.  With a hint of reluctance, Tanaka gathered up all of the empty bowls, bottles, and bag and placed them on the food tray so they could be thrown away.  He crept out of Ennoshita room and down the hallway to the kitchen.

   “Oh, hello Tiger Lily.”  Tanaka leaned down the scratched the top of the curious kitty’s head.  “I thought you were sleeping?”

   Tiger Lily mewled as she followed Tanaka into the kitchen.  She sat and swished her tail on the floor, watching Tanaka like he was her prey.  Tanaka threw away the trash and placed dirty dishes in the sink.  He set the tray of food out of the way, not quite knowing where everything went.  Tiger Lily meowed again.

   “I’m sorry, girl.  I don’t know where your food is.”  Tanaka yawned as he spoke to Ennoshita’s cat.  He checked his watch. “11:30!”

   Tanaka sighed and headed back to Ennoshita’s room.  He would need to text Saeko and hope she woke up so he could get home.  Sure, Ennoshita probably wouldn’t mind if he slept over, but he hadn’t been asked, so Tanaka opted for the polite, go home option.

   Upon returning to Ennoshita’s room, Tanaka found that Ennoshita was still sleeping awkwardly against his pillows.

    _I just can’t leave him,_ Tanaka thought as he approached the bed.  He pulled back the covers to reveal Ennoshita’s star-covered sheets.  They were cute, really, with little white stars in the shapes of constellations on a deep blue background.  Tanaka smiled as he gently pulled Ennoshita to a better lying position and tucked the covers over him.  Almost immediately, Ennoshita nestled down into the blankets, still fast asleep.

    _You’re a deep sleeper, huh?_  Tanaka smiled at Ennoshita’s cheek squished against the pillow and his hair tousled about.  He was cute when he slept, so calm and peaceful.  Tanaka squatted down by the bed and leaned his head on his crossed arms.  He watched Ennoshita slowly breathe in and back out.  He’d shift slightly, his lips pouting up and making Tanaka’s heart flutter.  Tanaka leaned in closer with a cheesy smile on his face, so happy Ennoshita was sleeping well.  Tanaka finally stood and stretched.  He had all of his belongings and could text Saeko soon.  Before he left, he took one last look at Ennoshita.  He stood by the bed and ran his hand through Ennoshita’s dark, soft hair.  Tanaka could just imagine what it would be like waking up to that head of hair each morning, nesting his nose into it and kissing Ennoshita’s neck.  Tanaka leaned down and softened his lips.  Ennoshita’s cheek was right out in the open, ready for Tanaka to place a goodnight kiss on.  He leaned in farther, slowly closing the gap between them.  Tanaka was less than an inch away from his dream of a kiss when his conscience slammed on the brakes.  Tanaka paused, eyes wide open, suddenly very,  _very_ aware of what he was about to do.  He straightened himself like a soldier as fast as he could, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the flames that had been set on his cheeks.  Why would he ever think to do something like that?  Kiss Ennoshita?  While he was sleeping?  Was he some kind of pervert?  Tanaka shook those thoughts from his head and turned back to leave.  At the doorway, he took one last look at sleeping Ennoshita.

   “Good night, Chika,” Tanaka whispered before he turned off Ennoshita’s light and closed the door.  With a sigh, Tanaka headed down the hallway to the front door in order to leave.  He pulled out his phone when he got to the sitting space and was about to text Saeko when he heard the front door open.

   “Mei, please, stop!”  A woman was giggling.  “Just wait!”

   “C’mon!  Chika’s probably already in bed, and I didn’t get to touch you all evening…”

   Tanaka froze as he heard the voices getting closer.

   “If you keep being all handsy, you’re not going to get what you want.”

   “Yes, I will, because I know that you want it too.  And I believe the bedroom is our next stop, unless you want some wine~”

   “No, I do- Ah!”

   The two women froze as well when the saw Tanaka standing white as a ghost in the middle of their sitting area.  The woman that Tanaka recognized as Ennoshita’s mom Mei was holding the waist of Aiko, who was now red like a rose.  They stared at Tanaka.  Tanaka stared at them.  No one spoke.  No one moved.

   “You’re… Ryuu, right?”  Mei finally said, stepping in front of her wife.

   Tanaka nodded rapidly, his mouth not wet enough to speak.

   “Should I ask what you’re doing here?”

   “Um, well, I guess…”  Tanaka could feel his face going from white to red.  “Ennoshita invited me over.”

   “Oh?”  Mei took her hands off of Aiko waist but stayed in front of her.

   “Yeah, he, uh, texted me a few hours ago saying he wanted to hang out.”

   “I see.”  Mei nodded but kept her eyes locked on Tanaka.  “And you were leaving?”

   “Yes, ma’am.”

   “And where is Chika?”

   “Sleeping.”

   “He didn’t invite you to stay the night?”  Aiko chimed in.  “Even though you don’t have school tomorrow?”

   “Well, um…”  Tanaka wrung his hand, eyes darting around the room as he frantically tried to come up with an answer that wasn’t completely a lie.  “I need to get home anyway, and it was sort of a spur of the moment thing, and I didn’t want to intrude.”

   Aiko furrowed her brow and slightly glared at Tanaka.  “What are you leaving out?”

   Tanaka’s eyes widened like he was a deer caught in the headlights.  “Me?  What?  No!  I’m not leaving anything out!  Ennoshita just wanted-”

   “Do not lie to me.”

   With that, Tanaka let his shoulder slump.  “He invited me over, that’s true.  I didn’t break in.”

   “Alright.”

   “But, uh…”  Tanaka fought back his nerves.  “Hashimoto broke up with him.”

   Both of Ennoshita’s moms audibly sighed and let their shoulders fall.

   “Really?”  Aiko said quietly, her voice soft and sad.  “He was such a nice boy, too.”

   “Is Ennoshita alright?”  Mei asked.

   “He… wasn’t for a while, but we hung out and he seems to be a little better.  I don’t know how he’ll feel tomorrow.  It seemed to hit him pretty hard.”

   Suddenly Tanaka was trapped in a firm hug from Mei.

   “Oh, I’m so happy our boy has someone who he can rely on!  Thank you for being there!  You’re just too sweet!”

   “Um…”  Tanaka awkwardly put his arms around Ennoshita’s mom and hugged her back.  “That’s very nice of you to say, ma’am.  It’s just what friends do.”

   Mei released Tanaka from the hug and put a hand on each of his cheeks, squishing his lips together.  “You’re just so precious.  We do not deserve you.”

   “Tfank oo.”

   “Do you need a ride home now?  I don’t want you sister to have to drive the whole way out here in the middle of the night.”

   “A ride home would be nice.”

   “I’ll drive him home,” Mei said to Aiko, “and you stay here and get ready for bed.”  Mei winked. “I’ll be back in a few.”

   Aiko just shook her head and smiled as Mei and Tanaka put their shoes on and headed to the parking lot.  Tanaka zipped up his jacket as they ventured into the night, the moon clearly illuminating the trees and roads.  Mei walked up to a small red car, the lights flashing on when she unlocked it.

   “Go ahead and sit in the front.”  She gestured to the other side of the car.  “I’m sure you’re tall enough.”

   Tanaka sat down in the passenger’s seat and fastened his seatbelt, watching Mei do the same.  She confidently turned the ignition and put the car into reverse.  Tanaka braced himself on the seat as Mei whipped out of her parking space and proceeded to fly out of the parking lot.  Tanaka probably would have been more nervous about Mei’s reckless driving if it wasn’t exactly like Saeko’s.

   “So Tetsuya broke it off with Chika?”

    _Tetsuya?_  Tanaka thought.  He didn’t know anyone by that- oh.  Hashimoto.

   “Yeah.  Texted him earlier this evening.”

   Mei clicked her tongue disapprovingly.  “Seriously?  He texted him?”

   “Yeah…”

   “He could have at least called.  I just don’t understand boys sometimes, and I was married to one!”  Mei laughed to herself as she drove Tanaka down the road.  Tanaka chuckled awkwardly at her joke as well, unsure if it was alright to do so to a joke about her late husband.  But she had made the joke, so she must be okay with it.

   “You’re close with Chika?”  Mei asked, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel while they sat at a stop light.

   “I would say so,” Tanaka responded.

   “That’s good to hear.”  Mei leaned back into her seat.  “I worry about him making friends sometimes, but maybe I’m just a nervous parent.  And we moved away from all of his other friends, so I wasn’t sure if he’d integrate well, especially considering he’s gotten older.  But the volleyball team seems to be a good group of boys.”

   “We try our best to make a positive impact.”

   “I think you really have.”  Mei finally turned into Tanaka’s driveway.  She put her hand in his hint of hair and smiled warmly.  “Thank you again for being there, Ryuu.  It means a lot to me and Aiko knowing Chika has friends he can lean on, and I’m sure it meant a lot to Chika, too.”

   Tanaka blushed a little at Mei’s compliments.  “Thank you, ma’am.”

   “Oh, you’re too sweet!”  Mei unlocked the car doors.  “Now go get some sleep!  You teens need your sleep more than any of us!”

   Tanaka thanked Mei one more time before waving goodbye and bounding up his sidewalk, a renewed bounce in his step.  Damn did Mei’s nice words make his heart flutter something unnatural.  There certainly was something special about making your crush’s mom happy.

><><><

   “RYUUNOSUKE!”

   Saeko’s voice jolted Tanaka awake.

   “It’s nearly noon, and you’re still sleeping!  Quit being so lazy and get up!”

   Saeko slammed Tanaka’s door, and he laid in bed for another minute, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.  Streams of sunlight were pouring in around the edge of his curtain and his sheets were an absolute mess.  Tanaka sat up, mouth slightly open, trying to will himself to actually get out of bed.  Damn, last night was something else and Tanaka was still paying for staying up that late and taking in more calories on a few hours than he probably had the whole week.  He rubbed his eyes, looking around and deciding that he needed to clean his room.  And maybe get some air freshener.  Yuck.

   Tanaka fell back onto his bed and grabbed his phone from his bedside table, yanking the charging cord out in the process.  His eyebrows raised when he saw he had a new message from Ennoshita.

E: _Do you wanna go to the movies with me today?_

   Tanaka smiled and giggled as he read the message.  He bit his lip and typed out his response.

T: _Of course_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys I hadn't forgotten about this fic! And now there's only one more chapter left! Oh man, it could go so many ways. And I never said that Tanaka was going to get with Ennoshita. Wouldn't it be mean if I just made Ennoshita get back with Hashimoto? Ah! And I love being mean! What to do... what to do.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking around for updates and reading this fic! It means a lot to me. And once this one is all done, I have a handful of other fics already posted that you might be interested in. Go check those out!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated!


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